Youthful packaging design by Sidel opens a new page for Menton

In Shanghai, China, the Sidel packaging team redesigned the package of Menton flavored water by integrating youthfulness into its health attribute. The straight-wall lightweight PET bottle, which weighs only 17.85 grams for the 500 ml format, conveys the sense of modernity and is a statement of sustainable packaging. Targeting young consumers in China, this new design differentiates Menton as a premium choice among other Ready-to-Drink (RTD) flavored water brands in the market.

Menton is an RTD product sold in convenience stores and markets around schools in medium-sized cities in China. After three years of rapid sales, Menton flavored water faced growing competition in the market with similar packages and prices. Considering that Menton's customers are price-sensitive young people who have grown up together with China's advanced internet culture, the brand decided to restyle the brand personality and resonate with them by repositioning the drink as a higher value product. To do so, they trusted in their long-term partner Sidel to develop a new packaging design from a concept to the industrial realization of the product, which is also but not only being produced on three Sidel Aseptic Combi Predis PET packaging lines at a very fast output of 60,000 bottles an hour (bph) per line.

Drink that brings to a Mediterranean holiday

Sidel's team conjured up a completely new bottle concept, including iconic bottle shape and label designs. As Menton flavored water is available with multiple fruity flavors, the inspiration of the new look was one of the ingredients – lemons – that are harvested in Europe. As a result, an association with the ideal, sunny Mediterranean holiday was applied to the new design with the help of a bright and jaunty color pallet - the unique metallic "Tiffany blue" color gives an exquisite brand image. It unifies the different flavors, but the illustrated fruit pattern with its lighthearted, funny, and relaxing mood conveys the drink's healthy and natural attributes.

Sleek design combines strong capability

The challenge for Sidel was how to premiumize Menton and retain its health attribute in the new high-valued soft drink category because many soft drinks give the impression of containing high in sugar and unhealthiness. It is also crucial to build a stronger brand image and further improve the relationship between the brand and consumers to increase loyalty.

"Following the overall packaging design trend in China, we decided to create something more contemporary for young people who are the main target audience for the drink, moving away from complex and technical design structures. Therefore, we came up with a straight-wall lightweight PET bottle, which weighs only 17.85 grams for the 500 ml format and is unusual for premium packaging," explains Steven Xie, packaging director from Sidel Greater China. The production process of the restyled bottle is also more sustainable, reducing material and energy consumption due to its lightweight. The new bottle also achieved performance requirements for transportation and storage.

Based on customer's insights, specifications, supply chain conditions, and product goals, Sidel supported from packaging conceptual graphic design and technical design to label design. In addition, Sidel offered all feasibility studies and performance tests, including dimensional and mechanical tests for thickness and weight. Within this project, packaging experts also supplied three series of moulds and supported the industrial production to ensure that the bottles were performing across the supply chain according to initial specifications.

Since the product launch on the market in May 2020 and its recognition by packaging design experts with the "A'Design Award" in 2019-2020, it has already received positive feedback from its target audience.