Exploring variety

Heineken USA’s Dos Equis brand announced the debut of its limited-edition variety pack: Exploration. The variety pack is designed to appeal to consumers who seek more interesting and legendary experiences, the company says. The Exploration 24-pack offers six bottles each of Dos Equis Lager, Ambar, Roja and Invierno. Dos Equis is supporting the launch of the new variety pack with a full schedule of traditional and digital executions including special offers aimed at building awareness and driving consumers to local retail outlets to purchase. “The Dos Equis drinker craves story-worthy experiences,” said Stephanie Dexter, brand manager of Dos Equis at Heineken USA, in a statement. “The Exploration pack fuels his quest to stay thirsty by combining two of his favorites with two additional and distinct Dos Equis styles.” The Dos Equis Exploration pack will be available at Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale, and Total Wine & More in select markets through Feb. 28, 2016.

Blending old and new

Celestial Seasonings, a brand of The Hain Celestial Group Inc., unveiled its new brand look and feel, including redesigned packaging highlighting the brand’s heritage with a new, contemporary logo. The refreshed packaging blends many of the elements for which the brand is known, which include commissioned tea box art that features characters like Sleepytime Bear with a contemporary design, the company says. “We’re excited to introduce our refreshed packaging to consumers since we think the new boxes are an even better reflection of the Celestial Seasonings goodness inside,” said Tom Arcuri, vice president of sales and marketing at Celestial Seasonings Inc., in a statement. “We kept the elements that our consumers loved from our previous boxes and built upon them to appeal to an even wider audience.” The first in the line of teas available in refreshed packaging now are on store shelves, with the full new shelf set expected to be in place by the fall.

Artistic inspiration

To commemorate the 20th vintage, Chateau Ste. Michelle partnered with Dale Chihuly, the first artist to present artwork on the Artist Series label for the 1993 vintage. The Artist Series red blend is a collector’s wine that represents the highest quality and pedigree from Chateau Ste. Michelle, the company says. Each Artist Series vintage will feature the work of renowned artists on the label, from blown glass to bronze sculptures to paint on canvas. “I’m honored to have my artwork on the 20th vintage Artist Series label,” Chihuly said in a statement. “This piece is one-of-a-kind and very special to me. I couldn’t think of a better use than portraying it on this significant wine project.” For the 20th vintage label, Chihuly selected his Cast Silver Venetian. This sculpture was created by Chihuly, and then cast in sterling silver at the Walla Walla Foundry in Washington State. The 2012 Artist Series featuring Chihuly is available nationally with a suggested retail price of $65.

Brand evolution

Deschutes Brewery’s bottles, cartons and tap handles now sport a new, updated look designed to better reflect the quality of the beer inside while increasing shelf presence and display impact, the company says. The new look displays “Deschutes Brewery” prominently to help pull together the company’s brands, it adds. The design change was spurred, in part, to help improve brand awareness and better stand out in an increasingly crowded category, the company explains. Each of the brewery’s brands has its own color palette and custom typeface, with company branding in black for the mainline and seasonal brands, and red for the Bond Street Series. The classic illustrations associated with each brand have been retained in the new design to further highlight each beer’s individuality. “As the craft beer segment continues to grow, and we continue to expand, it’s critical that we stand out on the shelf and reinforce our brand,” said Jeff Billingsley, director of marketing for Deschutes, in a statement. “We’ve incorporated many key elements in the new design that should help us achieve this goal. We are excited to hear what our fans think about the new look.”

Tall order

Fiji Water, a brand of Roll Global LLC, debuted its new 700-ml bottle in conjunction with its The Lolë White Tour, a series of yoga events around the world. This is the first new bottle Fiji Water has released in nearly 10 years and features the brand’s square shape and blue bottle cap. The new bottle’s slim shape now complements an active, on-the-go lifestyle by fitting easily into car and fitness equipment cup holders, the company says.

Not just in a can anymore

 Geloso Beverage Group’s Clubtails’ Cocktail-in-a-Can line, which were initially only available in 16-ounce single cans, now is available in a six-pack glass multi-pack featuring four of the brand’s eight flavors: Sex on the Beach, Bahama Mama, Long Island Iced Tea and Blue Motorcycle. The brand uses bright neon colors, like blue, orange and red, to help it stand out on the shelf. The 10 percent alcohol by volume malt-based Clubtails are available in select markets for a suggested retail price of $8.99.