Diageo’s plan to save money? Lighter bottles

Diageo, the London-based spirits giant that owns more than 200 brands, unveiled the “world’s lightest whiskey bottle” on Friday, a 70-centiliter Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra. The company’s previous Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles weighed 850 grams without liquid or cork, but this one weighs almost five times less at just 180 grams, said Jeremy Lindley, Diageo’s global design director. wealth. By comparison, typical whiskey bottles weigh between 400 grams and 1,000 grams, he said.

“We didn’t know what we’d be able to achieve when we set out to push the boundaries of luxury,” Johnnie Walker global brand director Jennifer English said in a statement. “The result is something that many said would not be possible.”

Part of the company’s mission to produce lighter bottles is to reduce carbon emissions. The relief depends on the project and the product, but studies have shown that for every gram of glass reduced, there is more than half a gram less carbon emissions in production, according to a roadmap for decarbonising the UK glassmaking sector by 2050. In addition, reducing carbon emissions can reduce costs.

Photo courtesy of Diageo

“The transformation required to reduce carbon emissions is a challenge at every level and for all stakeholders, but it also offers new opportunities for cost reduction and growth,” according to a Deloitte 2022 study in Europe.

While it’s not a “new idea” to make greener beverage packaging, it’s only now that more “luxury alcohol brands” are emerging, said Andy Keenan, executive vice president and general manager of brand and retail consultancy Advantage Solutions. wealth.

“As consumers have become more environmentally conscious, they want to see companies produce less waste. That quickly became the standard,” Keenan said. “Eventually, all brands will follow suit and switch to lighter glass bottles.”

What Diageo’s bottling means for the alcohol industry

Diageo is also planting its flag as a leader in the spirits industry for more efficient packaging innovation, starting with Johnnie Walker.

“Over the course of five years of research, Johnnie Walker has been granted a UK patent and to encourage further progress in the industry – and is a first for Diageo – a license to the patent will be offered royalty-free to anyone in the world who wants to share these findings,” Lindley said.

Photo courtesy of Diageo

Diageo, however, is starting relatively small. Only 888 bottles of this special Johnnie Walker will ever be produced, with a limited number going on sale in 2025 in select markets around the world, according to a company statement. And these limited-edition bottles come with a staggering price tag: more than $1,100. Other Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles can be found for a fraction of the price, usually around $200-$300 a piece.

If the new bottle is “technological development” as Diageo says, then why not mass produce the bottles? The drinks giant would need to “completely redesign glass production at scale to manage the delicate nature of glass in production, filling and shipping,” Lindley said.

Photo courtesy of Diageo

And this is a “cross-sector challenge,” he added. However, we can expect to see Diageo continue to innovate in its bottling procedures.

While Diageo has not confirmed future launches of other lightweight bottles, Lindley said “we are applying our weighting knowledge to a wide range of other Diageo projects”.

Whiskey connoisseur Chris Walster said he has noticed other whiskey distilleries implementing similar practices, including the renowned Bruichladdich Distillery, founded in 1881.

“Whiskey is often sold on the history of the brand, but sustainability is actually seen as a marketing tool for all distilleries,” said Walster, Johnnie Walker being over 200 years old. “They are all looking to reduce their packaging weight, packaging durability and their overall environmental footprint. The fact that (Diageo) now (has) the lightest bottle shows what can be done and other distilleries will naturally follow because they are already aware of their environmental impact.”