Curwood’s ExpressTote Bag, Marketed as the Miller® Lite Chill® Bag, Wins 2007 FPA Gold Award in Packaging Excellence

Source: Meredith Lauer: Marketing Communications Specialist

Date: 3/8/2007

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The edgy, eye-catching ExpressTote bag features sturdy carrying handles and extra room for ice, making it a perfect on-the-go chill pack...and a whole lot more.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin - March 2, 2007 - Packagers take note: there's a new packaging style on the market, and it's getting rave reviews. Curwood's ExpressTote® bag, marketed as the Miller® Lite Chill Bag®, earned a 2007 FPA Gold Award in Packaging Excellence. This first-of-its-kind package looks and performs like a sturdy, stylish travel bag, making it ideal to house, tote and store heavy or bulky products. Miller® Lite was the first to use the new packaging style, commercializing it for a seasonal beverage promotion.

The ExpressTote™ bag, marketed as the Miller® Lite Chill Bag®, is an entirely new flexible packaging style that looks and performs like a sturdy, stylish travel bag, making it ideal for heavy or bulky multi-portion products.

Based on a Doyen-style standup pouch, the ExpressTote bag has strong nylon handles and is constructed in two parts for added structural integrity. Able to hold and comfortably transport 18 cans of Miller® Lite beer, the package folds into a cube for retail display, then unfolds to accommodate a full bag of ice without removing any product. The unique design allows consumers to easily chill their favorite beverages and bring them to sporting events, picnics, parties and more.

Features of the ExpressTote bag include handles that don't tear, snap or distort when carrying up to 50 pounds of beer and ice; a wide-mouth opening that makes it easy to add ice or dispense canned beer; and a handy slider zipper for reclosing the bag between servings. The durable, waterproof package protects against leaking from melting ice and can be reused multiple times after the initial contents are consumed, keeping the Miller® Lite brand in front of consumers. Reverse-printed rotogravure printing creates a high-gloss presentation that is unprecedented in the beverage category.

"This package style opens up exciting opportunities for packaging bulk, multi-portion products from beverages to fertilizer to charcoal," says Jon Pietsch, Market Manager for Curwood. "It has great retail presence and offers ease of transport, reclosability and reusability for the consumer."

Because of its sturdy construction and portability, the ExpressTote™ bag can be used for any bulk scoopable or pourable products that would normally be housed in a multi-wall bag, pail or tub. Examples include foodservice or club store items such as oatmeal, rice or flour; lawn care products like plant food or fertilizer; or household goods including charcoal and driveway salt. Compared to the rigid containers some of these products are packaged in now, the ExpressTote bag provides comparable protection but uses a fraction of the material, creating an opportunity for source reduction. Materials can be engineered with the precise level of barrier protection required.

Click on the following link to read a Packaging Digest article on this FPA Gold Award Winner!

Known throughout the world for technological leadership in high-barrier packaging, Curwood is a preferred supplier of innovative packaging materials and systems for food, beverage, household, industrial and personal care industries. Curwood maintains strategic manufacturing and service centers throughout North America, South America and Europe, and is well-positioned to meet global distribution and marketing needs. Headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Curwood is part of the Bemis family of companies.

For more information on Curwood's ExpressTote bag, call Curwood customer service at (920) 303-7300, email curwood@bemis.com or visit http://www.curwood.com/.