1. The Vortex Bottle
The Power of Innovation
With innovation and ingenuity. To thrive in today’s crowded
beverage market, products and product packaging must
work harder to appeal to consumers. Consider the state of
the U.S. beer industry: established brands face a host of
competition from craft brews, and market share has remained
stagnant. Yet MillerCoors’ flagship Miller Lite brand has
bucked the trend and posted significant gains in 12-ounce
bottle sales last summer, an achievement largely attributable
to a revolutionary packaging design created by its partner
O-I.
With its never-before-seen spiraling grooves, the
internally embossed Vortex bottle grabbed the
attention of consumers and helped generate a 6
point trend improvement in Miller Lite’s 12-ounce
bottle sales. The Vortex bottle was the
cornerstone of Miller Lite’s spring and summer
2010 promotional campaign that boosted both
on- and off-premise sales.
As O-I intended, the Vortex bottle created a level
of excitement and intrique at point-of-purchase.
And it’s not just consumers taking notice. The
Vortex bottle received a 2011 International
Design Excellence Award from the Industrial
Designers Society of America, which recognized
the O-I design using criteria including innovation,
benefit to the client, and visual appeal and
aesthetics. Vortex also was recognized with a
2010 Clear Choice Award from the Glass
Packaging Institiute.
6%
The Vortex bottle helped
generate a 6 point trend
improvement in Miller Lite’s
12-ounce bottle sales.
How does glass packaging build brands?
®

2. Building brands
O-I understands the powerful
connection between packaging and
brand performance. As the world’s
largest glass packaging manufacturer,
the company partners with customers to
deliver innovative, value-added solutions
– like the Vortex bottle – that help drive
sales and invigorate brands by:
• Positively differentiating products
• Attracting new customers
• Motivating current customers to keep
coming back
A new twist on beer packaging
To engage the interest of long-time
partner MillerCoors, the O-I design team
created multiple internally embossed
concepts tailored to the Miller Lite brand.
The helix-like pattern of the Vortex design
was the top choice to bring new energy
to Miller Lite.
From there, a cross-functional team
began developing moulds, producing
samples for testing and quality
requirements, and conducting trial fillings
at MillerCoors breweries. The O-I team
faced the challenge of developing glass
packaging that would not compromise
the integrity of the bottle or its contents.
Until Vortex, there had never been a
structural change to the 12-ounce beer
bottle, specifically to the inside.
While the bottle needed an internal
design substantial enough to be seen on
the outside, it also required a smooth
exterior for label application and needed
to be produced – and filled – at high
speeds.
The result? O-I’s makeover of the
standard beer bottle, with its specially
designed, spiraling pattern of embossed
grooves inside the neck, is a marketplace
differentiator that attracts consumers and
enhances the brand experience. The
bottle is so unique it has become a
recognizable icon for Miller Lite.
Transforming glass
For more than 100 years, O-I has
provided quality, high-impact glass
packaging and is committed to continually
improving that standard of excellence. It
recently committed to a $40 million
investment in glass science R&D to
create innovative products and process
technologies.
The company’s expanded research and
development team includes scientists
focused on new ways to melt and form
glass, make glass containers lighter and
stronger, and create groundbreaking
ways to help customers differentiate their
brands. Internal embossing is just one
example. Other recent examples include
black glass, also used for beer packaging,
and Lean+Green® lightweight bottles.
Partnering with O-I’s global marketing
team and with customers, academics
and other experts outside the company,
O-I innovators identify and respond to
market trends and opportunities and help
brands create a complete customer
experience.
Build your brand with O-I
When faced with multiple options in a
category, consumers are heavily
influenced by packaging in determining
whether products are right for them. By
making O-I’s innovative glass packaging
part of its strategic marketing initiative,
MillerCoors was able to connect with
new customers and move the needle in
product sales. O-I can help your brand
stand out on the shelf, as it did for
MillerCoors.
To learn more about O-I innovation,
visit www.o-i.com or contact us at
beer@o-i.com.
O-I innovators identify and respond to market trends and opportunities and help
brands create a complete customer experience.
$
40O-I has invested more than
$40 million in new glass
science research.
MILLION