Trident’s envelope-style EZ-Close Pack is touted as one of the brand’s boldest packaging renovations since its inception in 1964. “Consumers find the new pack easy to open, easy to close and, best of all, they believe it does a good job of keeping their gum safe and secure,” said Victoria Lozano, vice president of Cadbury Adams USA’s gum portfolio. Collaborating on the design were Allen Aldridge, project manager in packaging development out of Cadbury Schweppes’ Science and Technology Center; Jim Mandle of package design firm JS Mandle & Co. (201-909-8900); Shorewood Packaging (paperboard sleeve, www.shorewoodpackaging.com); Bomarko (innerwrap, www.bomarko.com); and Sonoco Flexible Packaging (foil, www.sonoco.com). The EZ-Close Pack contains 18 pieces of gum and retails for $0.99, unchanged from previous packaging. Trident says the new packaging is part of the brand’s overall renovation.

Anheuser-Busch has been testing a liqueur in four U.S. markets through a subsidiary called Long Tail Libations. Called Jekyll & Hyde, the product is composed of two liqueurs, in separate bottles, that are meant to be served together. Long Tail communicates that mixable quality by housing the two liqueurs in curved glass bottles that nest together and reveal a single illustration along the front. According to a spokesman from Owens-Illinois (www.o-i.com), the glass manufacturer, the packaging came out of a fast-track directive that required the development of 15,000 shelf-ready bottle samples in just four weeks. Jekyll & Hyde is being sold only in restaurants and bars in the four test markets, according to Long Tail’s director of innovations, Mic Zavarella, who told the Associated Press that the product is priced comparably to other mid-tier liquor varieties.

It’s not that kids are sloppy; they just need a little help to prevent spills. Enter Waddajuice, a juice brand that recently introduced spill-proof packaging, along with a flavor revamp. Waddajuice is packaged in an eight-ounce PET bottle with a triangular-shaped cap by Canadian-based Euro Moulds (905-624-7534) that contains a silicon valve made by Forest City Technologies (www.forestcitytech.com). The resealable closure prevents spills by restricting juice flow until pressure is applied through sucking or by squeezing the bottle; a groove on the side of the bottle enhances the grip for little hands. Unlike juice boxes and pouches, the resealable aspect of the new packaging eliminates the need for parents to toss out juice that hasn’t been consumed. Company founder Jordan Kerner designed the packaging for the juice line, which reportedly features half the sugar, calories and carbs of other fruit juices. An eight-ounce bottle retails for $1.49.

Looking to win favor with mass market retailers, Rivet International recently refreshed the packaging for its line of personal-mobile-device attachment systems. The brand improved the legibility of its logo with bold lettering set in a modern proprietary typeface, but according to MiresBall (www.miresball.com), one of the biggest challenges was working within the small packaging footprint. “As today’s high-tech products and accessories become smaller, so does their packaging,” says Scott Mires, principal and creative director of the San Diego-based design firm. The solution was to minimize packaging copy and, instead, make better use of graphics and active color photos to tell the Rivet story. One of the more interesting graphic devices is a “thought bubble” that dominates the face of each package and explains how the product is used. The new Rivet packaging debuted at retail in November 2005.

Butter readily absorbs the odors and flavors of its fellow refrigerator inhabitants. So when Land O’ Lakes research revealed that consumers considered freshness among the most important factors in their purchasing decisions, the company wisely stepped forward to introduce a FlavorProtect Wrapper. According to LOL, independent testing has confirmed the new wrapper to retain freshness and keep undesirable flavors out better than wax paper. For consumers, the change is subtle—the wrapper still includes the brand’s Indian Maiden logo and measurement lines, and it can be easily cut and is microwave safe. But the FlavorProtect name is prominently displayed on each wrapper to communicate the “fresh” promise. One pound and half-pound packages of Land O’ Lakes Butter and Unsalted Butter feature the wrapping, which does not affect the price of the products. LOL is supporting the launch with a national television advertising campaign, online promotion and in-package offers.

Method recently introduced a line of shower gels and cream body washes in 15-ounce, custom tear-drop shaped bottles designed by Karim Rashid (www.karimrashid.com) and developed by Amcor (www.amcor.com). Each variety comes in a tinted PET bottle that aids product selection by matching the hue of the product inside: the Mango Mint bottle is tinted orange; Cassis Flower is pink; Olive Leaf is green; and Lavender Thyme is tinted purple. A two-color disc-top closure by Seaquist Closures (www.seaquistclosures.com) crowns the bottle, which features the Method logo embossed on the back panel. The San Francisco-based personal and home care company is reporting positive feedback on the introduction. “Our customers like the design and feel,” says Gerry Chesser, Method’s vice president of operations. The body wash line targets upscale urban women and retails for $5.