FUZE Launches 19 Varieties in 18.5-ounce Custom PowerFlex PET Bottles from Amcor

Amcor’s PowerFlex bottle features a revolutionary patented panel-less design which takes hot-fill (185° degrees Fahrenheit) bottle options to a new level.

05/06/08 FUZE Beverage, LLC, Englewood Cliffs, NJ is converting its iconic 18-ounce glass single-serve container to a custom, 18.5-ounce PowerFlex polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle from Amcor PET Packaging.

“The signature eye-catching graphics and the aesthetic charm of our glass bottle have been captured in the new PowerFlex version to allow consumers practicality, safety and convenience in today’s “grab and go” culture,” explains Bill Meissner, vice president of marketing, FUZE.

In addition to being available in all types of retail outlets, the new bottle will also enable the brand to enter some alternative channels (such as airlines, military, foodservice, etc.) that were not possible in glass.

FUZE first became available in a 16.9-ounce PowerFlex bottle at the beginning of 2007. The smaller size was created for multipack and special purpose venues such as concerts and sporting events. The performance of the 16.9 bottle, coupled with consumer research, convinced the company the time was right convert its flagship size.

Amcor was charged with creating a bottle that closely replicated the look and feel of the brand’s glass version. Amcor’s engineering and design team worked closely with its FUZE counterparts to make sure that not only the aesthetic goals were achieved, but that production and filling objectives were also met. The tight project turnaround time and the ability to coordinate supply from three Amcor plants to four different filling locations were also factors.

Amcor’s PowerFlex bottle features a revolutionary patented panel-less design which takes hot-fill (185° degrees Fahrenheit) bottle options to a new level. The patented bottle absorbs vacuum via a unique diaphragm within the base which draws upward as the liquid cools.

The challenge, however, was in how the gently sloping shoulder would react to the vacuum. To help insure that no “paneling or ovalization” took place, three horizontal ribs—located near the base, midpoint on the body and at the base of the neck—were engineered into the design. This allowed the radiuses to be shaped for maximum performance while still giving FUZE its distinct neck and shoulder design.

Further, because PET sidewalls are thinner than their glass counterparts, an additional .5-ounce was added to the PowerFlex version so that the new bottle would come closer to reaching the desired bottle height. The brand’s signature eye-catching graphics and brightly-colored full shrink label are also replicated in the 18.5-ounce bottle.

“The more portable packaging should increase usage occasions for FUZE, as the PET containers are being introduced to areas more suited to the attributes of plastic, such as schools, sporting events, concerts, vending and outdoor venues, like beaches,” Meissner says.

All 18 flavors of FUZE products will be available, including the Slenderize, Refresh, Tea and Vitalize platforms. The nutritious and newly portable bottles will remain free of aspartame, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup and will be available nationally for an average suggested retail price of $1.79. The 19th product is a special formulation pomegranate berry Slenderize. Called Empower, it is being launched in June as part of FUZE’s national sponsorship of the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation’s Race for the Cure series.

The company is also supporting the launch via an innovative ad campaign with the tag line “FUZE’s new unbreakable glass bottle. It’s plastic.”

Since 2001, FUZE Beverage, LLC has been reinventing beverage industry standards by introducing non-carbonated drinks that are “infuzed” with real health benefits and antioxidants without high fructose corn syrup or aspartame.

Amcor PET Packaging is the leading manufacturer of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic packaging for the global beverage, food and non-food industries, with over 80 manufacturing sites in 19 countries. Its parent company, Amcor Limited, offers a broad range of packaging solutions and ranks as one of the top three packaging companies in the world. Amcor’s extensive operations include 217 plants in 34 countries.