New Amcor Lemon Top Package for Cliffstar-Bottled Brands

The 32-ounce PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging looks and feels the part with its lemon-peel texturing on its lemon-shaped top.

26/11/08 It’s called “Lemon Top” and for good reason. Customers of Cliffstar Corporation, the USA’s leading private label juice provider, will soon roll out the unique package into retail food outlets nationwide. The 32-ounce PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging looks and feels the part with its lemon-peel texturing on its lemon-shaped top. Embossed leaves further communicate the natural goodness inside, and in keeping with tradition over many years, the deep ‘Cliffstar green’ color is synonymous with its lemon juice packaging.

“This is an updated design with far more brand appeal for our customers. It looks great and is beyond anything else on the market, which will draw interest from more consumers and help drive sales in various departments throughout a store,” said Jason Krause, Cliffstar’s Director of Marketing.

“In the past, most private label and store brands have focused on simply matching their brand to a product line. They want to create their own brands and we think packaging like this can lead the way. You can attract people to your store for your brand, and they can’t get it anywhere else,” said Krause, noting that Cliffstar also is packaging Lime juice in the same bottle for many of its private label clients.

Kathryn Bejma, Marketing Manager for Amcor PET Packaging, agrees with Krause’s assessment. “The new design conveys a distinct persona that not only draws attention, but communicates the natural quality inside,” she said. “Wherever the product fits in, whether it is the juice aisle, seafood counter, produce department, the baking section or elsewhere, this package will clearly stand out.”

Distinctly different package and a seamless transition

Bejma emphasizes the close collaboration between Amcor and Cliffstar on all aspects of the project was crucial. The quest for a distinctive design included both weight and material reduction, yet retained key packaging parameters so as not to increase costs to Cliffstar clientele. “Our entire design, production, logistics and sales teams achieved success on all fronts,” she said.

“The new package,” says Krause, “requires no change in our filling lines or other processes. And, what’s important for our customers to know is the base package area remains the same – the same label panel, same label, same application process. It is a seamless transition, simply by substituting the ‘Lemon Top’ for our previous package.”

With Amcor’s ‘Lemon Top’ design, the simple substitution provides a sizeable difference in weight. A 10-gram reduction (over 21 percent) in upper bottle weight means far less material is needed to produce the package. It also means fuel savings and reduced emissions with every case and truckload shipped from Amcor to Cliffstar, and on to stores throughout the country.

Improved, system-wide services also factor into this package-design success story. Specialized production equipment was used for previous Cliffstar juice bottles at one Amcor location in Brampton, Ontario. At the time, bottles were shipped to Cliffstar’s Dunkirk facility in upstate New York and to its filling plant in Joplin, MO. The new ‘Lemon Top’ package now is being produced in Brampton and also at Amcor’s Lenexa, KS facility. The Kansas-to-Joplin trips save nearly 1,000 miles, meaning a dramatic difference in response time and fuel savings.

“When you can reduce the weight, improve the look, and get more appeal in front of the customer, it is a win-win-win situation for everyone,” Krause said.