Canine cans: Ardagh’s 187ml cans featured in The Long Little Dog wines range

09 Mar 2020 --- Ardagh Group’s 187 ml cans will hit the market this spring, featured in Boutinot’s trio of The Long Little Dog wines. This newest addition to Ardagh’s wine can range is a portable, single-serve pack for wines, which were previously only available in bottles. The cans were designed by Ardagh specifically to protect and promote wine and wine-based drinks. The new quarter of a standard bottle format expands the Boutinot’s reach toward the growing number of consumers looking to consume wine on-the-go.

“Adopting this convenient, sustainable, smaller Wine Can means more customers will be able to enjoy the three great wines under our The Long Little Dog label – and we know we can trust Ardagh wine cans to protect the quality of the wines we’re so proud of,” says Sean Tennyson, Product Manager at Boutinot Wines in the UK. 

The launch of the slim 187 ml can was announced in July last year, specifically targeting the wine industry.

Designed for convenience and fun
The range of three wine cans for The Long Little Dog are illustrated with a dachshund whose body extends all the way round the can and finishes in a wagging tail. The “long little dog” wears a coat whose three different patterns and colors differentiate the white, red and rosé products.

According to Boutinot, the branding reflects the easy-drinking nature of the wines and will particularly attract “younger and outgoing” consumers for whom portability and ease of recycling are important. “This demographic appreciates the chance to try new wine varieties without committing to a full bottle, and the 187 ml can is the ideal material and size for casual dining and socializing, particularly with friends at picnics and outdoor events,” the company says.

The branding seeks to attract “younger and outgoing” consumers for whom portability and ease of recycling are important.Both the can end and body feature specifications to protect product quality throughout the filling, transportation and storage lifespan. This means the safety and flavor of the wine is guaranteed from canning to consumption, Ardagh notes.

Ardagh has worked once again with wine and fruit beverage handler EB-Secco as its filling partner for The Long Little Dog. “We are the first to fill Ardagh’s novel 187ml can for our customer Boutinot. It’s always gratifying to be part of innovation that reaches into growing beverage markets,” notes Carlo Bermes, EB-Secco’s CEO.

The cans are available for distribution into the on- and off-trade throughout Europe, including the UK as well as the US. Until now, European wines have largely been available only in bottles, boxes or multipack cans in the US, so the single 187ml can makes the US market newly accessible to European wine producers, the company explains.

Stand-out design “can” make a difference
Ardagh is very actively launching innovative concepts to support beverages in cans, especially in the spirits space. In a “perfect marriage of modern and traditional,” Ardagh supplied Austrian winery Weingut Johann Müllner with its slimline aluminum can for its “Kiss Me” Sauvignon white wine spritzer, designed to appeal to contemporary audiences.

Ardagh also replicated the distinctive flutes of Jupiler’s glassware in an embossed can, providing an added functional benefit: the smaller surface area keeps the beer colder for longer. Ardagh reports that the Jupiler project has led to tooling innovations that enable the supplier to render embossed designs with greater definition, creating new branding opportunities for customers.

UK-based Life Water also launched a sparkling version of its natural spring water in a matte black aluminum can, with a black colored shell and tab, produced by Ardagh. This complements its still water, released last year in a statement matte silver can. The recyclable packaging allows the company to tap into demand from an increasing number of consumers who are seeking to reduce their plastic waste.

Lastly, liquid coffee extract producer Cafeahaus AG launched Goldbrew – a ready-to-drink (RTD), cold-brewed coffee range in Ardagh’s 250ml slim can on the German market. The range includes “Goldbrew ginger & lemon” and “Goldbrew grapefruit & lemon.” The subsidiary of DEK Berlin has complimented the Goldbrew range with a nitro original cold brew coffee, which comes in Ardagh’s unique Nitro Can.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou