Long before Liquid Death’s edgy, heavy metal branding and focus on aluminum packaging, French water bottler Perrier made its mark with its iconic green-tinted glass bottle in 1906.
Perrier’s chubby green bottle hasn’t changed much as the brand's standard bearer since British businessman William Albert St John Harmsworth purchased the Perrier brand nearly a century ago. The now iconic green bottle is based on Indian clubs, the preferred exercise equipment of the disabled St John Harmsworth to develop strength and mobility. Even the plastic version of Perrier’s sparkling water takes its design direction from the original glass version. Most notable about the memorable silhouette is that the wide center isn’t just visually attractive; it gives the bottle enough strength to hold the carbonated French water.
Perrier is now a part of Swiss mega-conglomerate Nestle’s portfolio but remains stubbornly French as a brand. So it’s little surprise that the latest limited-edition Perrier bottle retains most of its original design. Still, French designer Phillipe Starck added a new twist to the classic packaging that respects the history of the Perrier brand and its place in the public’s mind.
The Perrier X Starck bottles retain the bulbous, workout-inspired shape and pleasant green hue but add dimensionality through a series of horizontal ridges that run across the length of the bottle past the slim neck. The grooves add depth and elegance to Perrier’s packaging. It is no easy feat to pay homage to such a storied French brand, especially when considering that Perrier has existed in one form or another for 160 years and its water source, Les Bouillens (“The Bubbles”), has been known for so long that it once hosted Hannibal and his army during a brief respite from the Carthaginian general’s campaign against Rome. French lens maker Fresnel inspired Starck’s design and his childhood fears that the smooth-shaped glass bottle would slip from his hands.
"The Perrier bottle is an absolute icon, one that had so far remained untouched, untouchable even,” Phillipe said via Instagram. “I chose to approach this bottle redesign with humility, the kind of humility needed to emphasize emotions.”
You don’t have to be French to appreciate or get one of Starck’s take on the Perrier bottle. The brand is releasing the limited edition bottle in over 30 markets worldwide.
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