“JDO Brand Design & Innovation has partnered with Carlsberg owned Ringnes, to redesign the Norwegian drinks brand Solo. The orange flavoured soft drink brand is owned by four breweries, of which Ringnes is the largest shareholder. The agency has worked with Ringnes on several recent re-design projects including the Imsdal Aktiv and Farris water brands.”

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Launched in 1934, Solo was the first national branded soft drink in Norway.  Today, Solo is established as the original orange soda based on real fruit juice and a strong focus on great taste.  All products contain a minimum of 8% fruit juice – an important competitive advantage in Norway. With a market share of over 50%, Solo is the leader within the orange soft drink sector and the fourth largest soft drink brand in the total market. It is one of Norway’s strongest and most iconic brands, having an especially strong association with the Easter season and a clear link to Norwegian culture and history.

The proposed 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 was briefed to develop a unique new design to communicate great taste from a classic Norwegian brand.

JDO created a new PET icon structure and range as part of the bigger brand portfolio review to rationalize supply chain cost and complexity and deliver added benefit to both consumers and the production process.

The resulting JDO design is showcased across unique shaped PET bottles, cans and shrinkwraps as well as three flavour variants. The design creates a strong, identifiable and distinctive ‘ski tip’ word marque that can be cropped and yet still be recognizable.  Orange peel effect embossing reinforces refreshment cues while condensation graphic elements communicate freshness.  Bespoke bottle caps are colour coded completing flavour variant cues.

The new structure technically pushes the PET format hard to deliver bottles that both embrace the much loved brand assets of the past whilst also being robust enough to handle the immense pressure of the carbonated product. JDO was able to use its specialist knowledge and understanding of component and line design to bridge the gap and translate between the vision and the technical challenges of bringing the project to life.”

” Paul Drake, JDO creative director said, “We took the best of the past and turned up the volume. Every aspect of the design has been considered to deliver a fresh and dynamic brand with increased modernity and a characterful edge, from the new identity and its lock up with the ski tip device through to the bottle structure.  We wanted to deliver designs that were filled with character and enjoyment but also retained the necessary gravitas and were worthy of this well known, loved and iconic brand.”

Marianne Høy Erikstad, senior brand manager at Ringnes, added, “These new packs have united the Solo portfolio of products and will strengthen Solo’s position amongst Norwegian consumers. The design has enhanced the natural and great taste of orange fruit and has a perfect balance between the historic equities of Solo and a new modern look.  The new design will be an important asset to strengthen the brand vision; the world’s best soft drink, at least from a Norwegian point of view!”   The packs are now being rolled out across Norway.”