Latin America gets first taste of what's hot: Beverage products in aluminum bottles

People love the inherent advantages of aluminum bottles--they’re lightweight, durable, re-sealable, fast-chilling, as well as recyclable.

CCL Container, North America’s leading producer of impact-extruded aluminum packaging, is giving Latin America its first look at re-sealable aluminum containers. Not entirely a coincidence is the fact that the actual trade name of the product to be distributed in CCL’s aluminum bottles is "HOT."

According to CCL Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Ed Martin, the makers of HOT Hangover Tea wanted to introduce their product in a container as new and different as the product category itself. HOT is marketed as an invigorating drink with herb extracts and amino acids that help combat the unpleasant sensations associated with a hangover. The package holds 8.4 ounces of product.

Martin explained that within weeks of evaluating CCL’s aluminum bottle capabilities, the marketers of HOT selected a re-sealable 53mm diameter aluminum package for their Latin American launch. "Initial distribution will be in their home country of Mexico," said Martin, "then on to the shelves of convenience stores throughout Latin America and North America as well."

The HOT bottle features CCL’s CT-38 threaded plastic sleeve that is fitted to the top of the container to accommodate consumer-preferred, tamper evident, re-sealable plastic caps. The graphics feature a fiery design of yellow and red, over a brushed aluminum backdrop, adding emphasis to the brand name. Product information appears in black type in both Spanish and English. An area of the design is deliberately left blank to allow for a printing of an expiration date during the filling operation.

Innovacion Comercial en Alimentos S.A. de C.V., the marketers of HOT, identified CCL for the packaging because of the company’s notable expertise and pioneering work in this emerging aluminum beverage bottle category. Since the first beverage debuted in CCL’s bottle in early 2002, a growing number of marketers – from global brands to niche players – have adopted and successfully used the package.

Martin commented, "There is definitely a mounting demand for impact-extruded aluminum packaging among the beverage community. In addition to delivering product distinction at point-of-sale, people love the inherent advantages of aluminum bottles. They’re lightweight, durable, re-sealable, fast-chilling, as well as recyclable."

Marketers certainly know how to make good use of a good thing. To date, CCL’s bottles have been successfully used for new product launches, limited-edition promotions, anti-counterfeiting measures, product line extensions, and as the catalyst for brand revitalization.

Arturo Gonzalez de Aragon, spokesperson for Innovacion Comercial en Alimentos, commented, "We are delighted with the packaging and highly confident that it will greatly contribute to the product’s success in the marketplace. The CCL team was a pleasure to work with. They not only met our needs efficiently, but with important recommendations along the way that resulted in an improved final package."

CCL’s Martin was pleased with the positive feedback, adding, "The future of CCL depends more on the success of our customers’ products in the marketplace above all else. If our packaging can promote the trial of new products like HOT, and encourage greater consumption, we’ve achieved our goal. If we can assist our customers in creating success we are confident we will enjoy success as well."