A striking new bottle developed by Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) for cachaca spirit maker Yaguara has debuted in Brazil. The bottle was created for the new ultra-premium spirit through a design partnership between renowned UK artist Brian Clarke, the O-I Covet(TM) team and Yaguara.
The new bottle creates a differentiated shelf presence to support Yaguara´s high-end positioning for its cachaca brand in the global market. Cachaca is a high proof, cane-based spirit and the national spirit of Brazil. The bottle, which reflects Brian Clarke´s artistry, is made at O-I´s Soacha, Colombia, plant. Covet(TM) is O-I´s collection of luxury packaging products.
"Covet´s luxury product and service offerings were the perfect match for Yaguara´s business objectives," said Rildo Lima, vice president and general manager of O-I´s Covet(TM) brand. "O-I is proud to support Yaguara´s strategy to create a new sense of luxury in the cachaca category. Offering this prestige product through a genuine work of art raises the profile of cachaca spirits in global markets."
"O-I has been an integral partner in getting Cachaca Yaguara to market," said Thyrso Camargo, co-founder of Yaguara. "Their commitment to breaking the boundaries in glass and bottle design has led to the fantastic product we have today. Consumers have responded very positively to the product at both the launch events in Brazil."
This is the first commercial collaboration for Clarke, one of the world´s most famous stained glass artists. "This project has given me the chance to celebrate the artistry of glass with a global audience," said Clarke. "The bottle´s form is familiar, but its radical exterior hints at the elixir within, a promise of all that makes life enjoyable."
This bottle is O-I´s third collaboration to bring an artistic aesthetic to consumers. In 2011, O-I partnered with renowned artist Fernando Botero to create the bottle for Colombian rum maker Ron Medellin´s signature product. Last month, O-I and Ron Medellin partnered on a bottle inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
More than one billion liters of cachaca were consumed in 2011, according to International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR) 2012. This is more than twice the global consumption of gin and four times the consumption of tequila. Cachaca is forecast to be among the fastest-growing categories of all spirit categories according to IWSR, with the fastest growth happening in Western Europe, North America and Asia. Just as tequila climbed from the national spirit of Mexico to the world-wide stage over the past 15 years, cachaca is poised to make its mark on the global scene.
"We´re seeing a continued trend in the growing preference for new world tastes in old world markets," said Lima. "That means new opportunities for brands in both mature and emerging markets, and connecting with consumers in powerful ways is key. We developed Covet(TM) to help super premium brands make those connections through glass."
Yaguara is currently available in Brazil and is one of the featured products in the holiday gift baskets of Emporio Santa Maria, Sao Paolo´s exclusive food emporium market. Yaguara intends to export this product to North America, Europe and Asia.
