Agency: JDO
Country: United Kingdom

JDO refreshes Farris packs in Norway

JDO Brand Design & Innovation has been working with Ringnes, the Carlsberg owned drinks business in Norway, to develop the ‘next generation’ of Farris water packaging. Farris is a brand of mineral water produced in Larvik and is Norway’s oldest and No.1 bottled water brand.

Since 1915, Farris has evolved into one of Norway’s strongest brands with a market share of 73%. Farris is a synonym for mineral water in Norway and has driven development in the market since the 1970s. The mineral water originates from water from the hills that slowly filters through deposited glacial moraine and reaches the spring some 15-20 years later strongly mineralised. Ever since the 19th century it is said to have a positive health effect and has been used to treat various medical conditions.

With the launch of a teardrop shaped bottle in 2000, Farris set a new standard with the most attractive bottle on the market. The bottle became iconic and gave Farris a more modern and exclusive image.

The introduction of a one-way PET bottle (superseding the returnable plastic and glass bottles) was the perfect opportunity to reinvigorate the brand and keep it relevant to its consumer base. JDO were asked to develop the PET structure as part of a bigger brand portfolio review and to rationalise and harmonise the packs to benefit both consumers and the production process.

JDO built on the incredibly strong and recognisable Farris diamond brand equity and carried it across all brand extensions. Paper labels have been replaced with PSL (pressure sensitive labels) for the premium and core portfolio and metallic for the core range. The new structure pushes the PET format hard to deliver a bottle that both embraces the much loved historic glass bottle whilst also being robust enough to handle the immense pressure of the carbonated product. JDO were able to use their specialist knowledge and understanding to bridge the gap between their design vision and the technical challenges of the project.

Paul Drake, JDO creative director said, “We took the best of the past and premiumised the packs. Every aspect of the design has been revitalised to inject modern and premium cues, from the identity lock up and colour coded caps through to the metallic label and the bottle structure. We wanted to deliver designs that were worthy of this well known and loved brand.”

Christine Nygaard-Andersen, group brand manager at Ringnes, commented, “JDO’s new packs have united the Farris portfolio of products and will strengthen Farris’ position as the preferred choice amongst Norwegian consumers. 90% of Norwegian consumers say that the new Farris presentation is the most appealing design on the market, and that we have found the right balance between the strong historic equities of Farris and a new modern look.”