The redesigned bottle was carefully created after almost 18 months of design, research and testing leading to a premium design and feel, easily distinguishable from other milk brands and packaging across Australia.

The contract was awarded to Pact Group in early 2015 and involved a long process of researching global packaging trends and creating a design which would convey the innovation associated with being a first to market brand and product.

Malcolm Bundey, Managing Director and CEO of Pact Group said: “Our challenge in redesigning the a2 Milk™ packaging was to instantly convey the premium nature of the product while still retaining strong brand recognition. The shape of the humble milk bottle has not changed much over the last five decades. Working together with The a2 Milk™ Company allowed us to look at ways of improving the bottle design to improve the overall customer experience.”

The redesign leverages the packaging to help a2 Milk™ stand out from the generic ‘white mile’ milk category. Design changes included the centre handle positioning to make it easier to pull out of the fridge, indentation on the handles for easier grip, a unique label face for maximum brand exposure and a slightly offset neck for easier pouring.

“Despite facing a number of technical challenges, including the proper flow of resin through the handle and a number of iterations, we are confident the final design genuinely adds value for a2 Milk™ in that it will allow the product to be instantly recognisable in an otherwise identical market category.”

“Consumers will only interact with the final product but even the smallest amount of change can result in complex calculations across the whole supply and manufacturing change. With each design iteration, we needed to make sure the different lines at various locations filling a2 Milk™ could handle the new bottle. To make matters more complicated, each line had unique characteristics that needed to be taken into account.”

Commenting on the rollout of the bottles, Peter Nathan, Chief Executive Australia & New Zealand, The a2 Milk™ Company said: “Our goal through this process was to develop a strong partnership with a market leading company that could take a creative concept into the commercial world. We have achieved this over the last 18 months with Pact Group who have delivered a better packaging solution for a2 Milk™ that allows customers to “feel the difference”, the moment they come in contact with our product. We are excited to continue this relationship with Pact and look forward to working on a number of opportunities together, including the release of the one litre bottle later this year.”