Cutty Sark whips up a Storm with new glass bottle
Pearlfisher and O-I have developed exclusive new glass packaging for the launch of the first permanent addition to Cutty Sark whisky’s core range since the brand was acquired by Edrington in 2010.
Paul McLavin, O-I Marketing Manager NW Europe, says, “Edrington wanted to make a statement of intent about the development of the Cutty Sark brand. They have found it in glass. No other material can bear the level of brand identity and embody the premium cues than glass. The angular shape and brilliantly embossed positioning speak of a confident brand, at home with its reputation as one the best-selling Scotch whiskies in North America and around the Mediterranean and as one which is growing strongly in emerging markets across Asia and South America.”
Although crafted from the same top quality grain whisky as Cutty Sark Blend, Cutty Sark Storm features a higher proportion of older single malts. This results in a bolder, deeper taste. Jason Craig, Cutty Sark Brand Controller, describes it as “full of intriguing, complex flavours, intensity and drama. Cutty Sark Storm is a smouldering whisky; it is like Cutty Sark on steroids.”
The Cutty Sark Storm is intended to supersede the Cutty Sark Black and Blended Malt.
The former brands were packed in a standard clear glass bottle, so the decision to create a proprietary shape for the new pack indicates premiumisation. It recognises that, to compete in crowded market for premium blended Scotch, brands require their own distinctive glass packaging. The glass is part of the brand personality – colour, shape, decoration all play their part in creating the brand experience into which the consumer steps.
This new bottle, designed by Pearlfisher and stunningly realised in green glass by O-I’s Alloa glass plant, takes a tall, oval shape, which tapers from shoulders to base. It carries a strong statement of heritage and brand attitude through bold embossing of the phrase “Since 1923 Our actions define who we are”. There is a new label, with a halftone image of a tea clipper on a grey stormy sea. O-I has made in 70cl and 75cl sizes for global distribution.
Cutty Sark Storm is the latest in a string of glass packaging developments undertaken by O-I on behalf of Edrington and follows the repackaging in late 2011 of the Cutty Sark Blend. The partnership has also created award-winning bottles for The Famous Grouse brand, namely the lightweighting of its mainline containers to a best in class 340g and the development of the iconic black glass bottle for The Famous Grouse Alpha Edition. Mike Rose, Technical Services Director at Edrington says, “These developments are all about getting the right range of glass packaging to create a powerful image for our premium brands which resonates with the global customer base. At the same time, we continue to improve filling line efficiencies and reduce the carbon footprint of our packaging in line with our commitments to the Scotch Whisky Association Environmental Strategy. O-I helps us to achieve this.”
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About O-I
Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) is the world’s largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world’s leading food and beverage brands. With revenues of $7.4 billion in 2011, the company is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, USA, and employs more than 24,000 people at 81 plants in 21 countries. O-I delivers safe, effective and sustainable glass packaging solutions to a growing global marketplace. For more information, visit www.o-i.com.
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