Redesigning the milk bottle

The Pact Group has delivered a better packaging solution for a2 Milk that allows customers to “feel the difference” as soon as they come into contact with the product, according to Peter Nathan, chief executive Australia and New Zealand, The a2 Milk Company.

The new two-litre milk bottles have already been launched in Sydney with the rest of the east coast expected to get the bottles in the next couple of weeks.

After little change to milk bottle design for nearly 50 years, The a2 Milk Company commissioned the Pact Group to create a bottle that would help a2’s product stand out from the crowd.

The company wanted a bottle with a premium design and feel that would be easily distinguishable from other milk brands and packaging across Australia and would convey the innovation associated with the a2 product being a first to market brand and product.

Almost 18 months of design, research and testing resulted in design changes including the centre handle positioning to make it easier to pull out of the fridge, indentation on the handles for easier grip, a unique label face for maximum brand exposure and a slightly offset neck for easier pouring.

“Despite facing a number of technical challenges, including the proper flow of resin through the handle and a number of iterations, we are confident the final design genuinely adds value for a2 Milk in that it will allow the product to be instantly recognisable in an otherwise identical market category,” said Malcolm Bundey, managing director and CEO of Pact Group.

“Consumers will only interact with the final product, but even the smallest amount of change can result in complex calculations across the whole supply and manufacturing change. With each design iteration, we needed to make sure the different lines at various locations filling a2 Milk could handle the new bottle. To make matters more complicated, each line had unique characteristics that needed to be taken into account.”

The redesign leverages the packaging to help a2 Milk stand out from the generic ‘white mile’ milk category and will be followed with a redesigned one-litre bottle later this year.