Classic Glass Bottles Return for “Vintage Summer”

The “Modern Vintage” marketing trend has taken a hold on consumer products, including foods and beverages. Spurred on by the success of AMC’s Mad Men, vintage styles on the fashion runways of Manhattan and Milan, and the return of the classic Ford Mustang Cobra, modern vintage takes a classic idea and gives it a modern twist.

The trend has also spurred a notable return to glass bottle for many classic products for the summer of 2011, including Heinz Ketchup, Orange Crush, Coca-Cola, and Hershey’s Hot Fudge Topping.

“We’re pleased to see major brands revisiting glass this summer as a way to appeal to their customers,” says Lynn Bragg, GPI President. “Consumers obviously know the benefits of glass for maintaining the quality, purity, and taste of products. We’re hopeful these companies will continue offering their products in glass for the foreseeable future.”

One standout is Heinz Ketchup, which is bringing back its 14-ounce glass bottles to store shelves, including Wal-Mart and Safeway, for the first time in 10 years.

“In response to consumer demand and to inspire memories of and relive good times from summers past, we wanted to bring back the glass bottle with a limited edition design that gives a nod to the product’s 135-year history,” says Noel Geoffroy, Vice President of Heinz Brands, of the O-I produced bottle.

When Heinz Tomato Ketchup was first introduced in 1876, it was bottled in clear glass to reveal its purity, and several years later the world-famous octagonal bottle debuted and sold in retail stores until the 1990s. The iconic glass bottles are still available in restaurants.

Coca-Cola, which is marking its 125th anniversary this year, is offering special 8-ounce commemorative bottles to celebrate “125 Days of Summer Fun.” The classic “contour bottle” was created in 1915 as part of a design competition and still remains the company’s most well known symbol.

Other products that have rediscovered their glass roots in recent years include Orange Crush, which is offering six packs of 12-ounce bottles in a variety of grocery stores across the country, as well as Hershey’s Hot Fudge Topping, which is offered in a glass jar for easier reheating in microwave ovens.