There was a time not too long ago when the term “functional beverages” was all the rage.
And why not? Just saying the two words offered enough pizzaz to justify a higher price and a foot of valuable shelf space. Anybody with a few bucks, access to a graphic designer, and an ability to Google “contract beverage manufacturer” can still take a swing at joining the crowded “functional beverage” market.
Drinks with enticing action tag lines garnered from paging through a Yoga book: “restore”, “calm”, “balance”. Energy drinks galore. Line extension from Gatorade: “Kickstart.”
But that card has been played to death. Now what?
Functional Packaging.
Packaging solutions with a secondary function. Whether it’s box used to grow mushrooms, a box that doubles as a speaker, or a box that’s used as an insulator to force a top down freeze, functional packaging makes sense because it is a nod towards economy and resourcefulness. Functional packaging makes using the product better and easier.
So, as nICE mug founder, on this day March 1, 2015, I do hereby proclaim the rage of tomorrow will be:
Functional Beverage Containers.
Here is the second example (of what will soon be many): An edible coffee cup.
And here is the first example, a drinking glass made out of ice:
One Comment
Even if the carbon footprint of making these edible KFC cups is smaller than recycling the old school paper cups, let’s hear it for innovation….something we don’t often think happens in Ol’ Blighty. Viva Britannia.