Olive Oil Package Design Top of Mind During Greek Crisis

By Marissa Tejada

Feb. 20, 2014 16:57 UTC

Olive Oil Package Design Top of Mind During Greek Crisis Olive Oil Times — Elli Markaki runs the family glass packaging company Brothers Markaki.

Robust. Sexy. Those are two words Stratis Camatsos uses to describe the bottle that contains his new extra virgin organic olive oil, EVO3, from the Greek olive oil producing island of Lesvos. He also adds he selected the distinct dark colored glass bottle for its functionality.

“It protects the oil from one of its enemies: light. That is why a consumer should always look to buy an olive oil that is packaged in either a dark colored glass or tin.”

Camatsos, like other Greek producers that are just breaking into the competitive olive oil market, are considering every option when bottling and packaging their product.

“The design and presentation of the bottle is important because it is part of your brand, your identity,” says Camatsos.
See Also:The Best Olive Oil Package Designs for 2013
Plastic, metal tins or glass options are endless.

“I wanted to do something a little different with the appearance, and after searching, I came across Style Ltd. I was intrigued with their work of glass decorating and it was the thing that I was looking for to make the product go to the next level. By using their color coating technique, we created an outstanding looking product that stands out.”

Style Ltd. general manager, Christos Charizonas said he has seen a 40 percent boost in glass bottle sales thanks to new olive oil companies, like EVO3, that aim to bottle their product with care and consideration. “There are other details like whether you will use a cork or a screw top bottle. Everything is really considered today.”

Charizonas says he presents clients with various options in all sizes and in the most unusual shapes ranging from tall and skinny to round or square. He says clients may opt for clear bottles because they can be more eye-catching to consumers who peruse the shelves at a local specialty store or supermarket abroad and want to see the exact product they are purchasing. Camatsos didn’t consider this option for his olive oil.

“Seeing the color of the olive oil is not a useful indicator of contents, and it does harm the oil as light reduces the shelf life. Imagine a bottle is sitting on a supermarket shelf with the high beam lights shining on it; no better way to make the oil rancid faster.”

Charizonas says Camatsos’s thinking is one reason Greek olive oil producers are more interested in the various color coating methods. “They want to know about other packaging details like the techniques we use to add decals and prints. These touches are very important to ensure the product stands out above the competition.”

Style Ltd. has its own share of competitors in the market including Brothers Markaki. The company which has produced glass packaging and bottles for various products including wine, soft drinks, water and food for more 75 years is also experiencing a boost in business thanks to a new interest in glass bottling techniques.

“Even during these tough times we’ve seen a 25 percent increase in business and we’re hiring every three months because Greeks are interested more than ever in marketing and presentation,” says Elli Markaki who runs her family business. “Glass is the perfect material for Greek extra virgin olive oil. They want to specialize and present a great product from Greece and packaging is part of that. We work with the client directly and they like that.”

Camatsos says the crisis helped motivate him to follow his dream of producing his own organic olive oil that also has a social and environmental aspect behind it. For every bottle purchased Camatsos says one tree will be planted in a deforested area in Greece. With quality production, a marketing plan and the right kind of packaging in place, Camatsos has begun exporting to the UK, Ireland and Belguim and is ready to present EVO3 to more distributors and retailers.

“The bottle and the logo are the first things that a consumer looks at on the shelf. Because you are not there in person to pitch your product to every consumer to convince them to buy yours, and since you only have about three seconds to grab the consumer’s attention, you have to rely on your branding.”

Olive oil package design will be a topic at the 2014 New York International Olive Oil Competition seminars this April.