Tap water ice cubes are so last year; if you want to chill your premium beverage, only a premium ice cube will do.

“People who invest in quality beverages, such as high-end whisky and natural mineral waters, do not want to compromise the delicate flavor of their drinks with ice made from inferior water,” says Graham Cheesbrough, managing director at icemaker Blue Keld. “We use only spring water to make our ice and wanted packaging that would reflect the high-quality of our product.”

The brand’s Spring Water Premium ice cubes are packaged in one- and two-kilogram plastic bags—with a press-to-close zipper from Zip-Pak (www.zippak.com)—and are available at UK retailers such as Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. Blue Keld reports sales have already exceeded expectations by more than 30 percent.

Though Toma has been the leading juice brand in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland for many decades, it had lost some ground in recent years. Brand owner Pepsi Americas decided an overhaul was in order, and executed a package redesign to communicate the brand’s new positioning toward a young, modern Eastern European consumer. Part of the redesign included exchanging Toma’s traditional brick-shaped carton package for the Elopak Pure-Pak gable-top aseptic carton (www.elopak.cz), which features a distinctive curved panel.

“The pack has emotional benefits with its new shape and design and clearly stands out from the crowd on retailer shelves—an important asset in today’s competitive environment. In this respect the new pack has been an important element of our marketing mix,” says Otakar Rezek, vice president of marketing for Pepsi Americas.

Danone recently launched its Lu Petit Déjeuner Mini Biscuits cereal in a gable-top carton more commonly associated with liquids like juice or milk. The Tetra Rex (www.tetrapak.fr) carton is recloseable by way of a plastic clip that extends flavor and freshness without the need for a plastic cereal bag. To serve, users simply slide the plastic clip out of the way and the cereal is ready to pour. The carton’s compact size and shape are also said to make storage more convenient for consumers. Other dry foods on the market in Tetra Rex cartons include a savory biscuit brand in the United States, a sweet and savory biscuit product in Spain, premium muesli in the Czech Republic and a pourable sugar with a screw cap in France.