New French company Isola chose Cognac trade show VS Pack as the launchpad for its patented, interactive bottle closure system. The innovation could see a cigar housed in a bottle of whisky, spices suspended in a decanter filled with rum, or lights inserted into a bottle destined for the nightclub scene.
Isola’s patented, 2-in-1 closure system was unveiled at trade show VS Pack this week. The innovation enables two products – a liquid and a dry product, or a liquid and a liquid – to be housed in the same pack. This is made possible thanks to a cork closure with two different diameters, which closes both the watertight glass tube (attached on the axis of the cork) that is submerged in the bottle, and the bottle itself.
"The patented closure system targets the growing trend for 'do-it-yourself-at-home' products, providing consumers with an interactive experience,” Alban Petiteaux, President of Isola, explains to Luxe Packaging Insight. A bottle of whisky with a suspended cigar for example, a tube filled with spices that can be mixed with rum, or blackcurrant creme suspended in a bottle of white wine to make a kir. The promotional realm is also an area of interest; Isola developed a variation on the design where the tube can cross the closure and be accessible without removing the bottle cap. “A barman could remove the secondary, smaller cork from the main closure, drop a light into the tube and reseal the pack,” imagines Petiteaux. “Born out of a real need, the system is simple and low-tech,” he says. “The challenge for us as inventors was to come up with something that is aesthetic, with coherence between the size and form of both the bottle and tube.”
The system can be adapted to all glass bottles and closures. The glass tube itself can vary in diameter and length, with either a rounded or flat bottom. A decorative ring visible through the glass tube can adorn the cork as an embellishment. The closure is compatible with wines & spirits, olive oils and vinegar, and even beauty products. “The patent applies to all types of containers, so could be used with cosmetics jars, for example,” says Petiteaux.
Isola plans to commercialize the license for the closure system, to perhaps a glassmaker, closure specialist or even a brand.
