Luxury Packaging gets Lighter, Greener, Smarter

When it comes to packaging a luxury or premium liquor brand, one of the key factors that comes into play is the weight of the bottle. Achieving the perfect balance requires extensive experimentation, innovation and meticulous craftsmanship. This was recently exemplified by Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra, the world’s lightest 70 cl Scotch whisky glass bottle. While its shape is radically different from traditional Johnnie Walker bottles, it retains the brand’s signature elements, making it instantly recognisable. JEREMY Lindley, Global Design Director at Diageo, shares the interesting process behind this fascinating journey and its positive impact.

The concept of luxury can generate various positive elements. This was realised during an internal session on the future of luxury, when Diageo’s team observed an interesting shift in luxury categories; many were moving from heavy to light.

“We saw this as an opportunity to experiment with our most luxurious whisky, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, to see if we could push the boundaries of lightweighting glass, all in the name of progress,” says Jeremy.

An Inovative Approach

While developing the packaging for Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra, several philosophies guided the approach, such as whether to target the seasoned collector, the aspirational buyer, or someone purchasing a meaningful gift. Johnnie Walker has always been deeply rooted in principles of progress and innovation. “These aren’t just buzzwords for us; they have been our guiding lights since John Walker founded the brand over 200 years ago. They are what make Johnnie Walker one of the world’s biggest spirits brands today,” says Jeremy. The brand’s mission is to not only preserve heritage and quality but also to lead on innovation for the next 200 years.

The result is described as the world’s lightest bottle for the brand, in direct response to sustainability goals. “Scope 3 carbon emissions (the value chain) account for nearly 90 percent of Diageo’s emissions, and within that, packaging comprises one third,” notes Jeremy.

Glass is an exceptional material; it is generally inert, made from readily available materials (mainly sand), and can be infinitely recycled. However, its production process requires significant energy, making it carbon-intensive. Independent studies show that every gram of glass reduced in bottle production leads to over half a gram less carbon emitted.

Delivering lightweight glass that also communicates luxury cues was a challenge the team was eager to undertake, knowing the potential to change paradigms not only within the brand but across the entire industry.

Beyond First Impressions

For buyers who view bottles as lifestyle décor or social currency, the brand has incorporated post-purchase experiences designed to sustain the brand story and pride of ownership. The team showcased this achievement globally by unveiling the bottle at the London Design Festival last year. “We partnered with the experiential artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast, who created a beautiful dramatisation of the test-and-learn development process,” Jeremy shares. The centrepiece of the exhibition featured an array of glass-blown droplets suspended in mid-air, collectively symbolising the evolution of form over time.

Besides showcasing the bottle design breakthrough, the brand has also been celebrating its remarkable whisky. “Our Master Blender, Dr Emma Walker, has created a new Johnnie Walker Blue Label expression, sourcing whiskies from ‘ghost distilleries,’ first made in distilleries that have since closed,” Jeremy informs.

Design Innovation

 The bottle forsakes Johnnie Walker’s signature square silhouette in favour of a rounder shape. Elaborating on this change, Jeremy states, “In our quest to create the lightest possible Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle, we adopted a test-and-learn model. The only limitation we set was that the bottle must be strong enough for consumers to use; every other aspect of production and distribution could be rethought.”

Working with glass partners Sisecam, the brand leveraged their expertise to rethink all aspects of how a whisky bottle can be designed, manufactured and transported. “Sisecam helped us understand that the lightest possible shape would be a teardrop, following the natural form glass takes under gravity,” Jeremy shares. From this, the team discovered how to incorporate elements of the iconic Johnnie Walker bottle shape. “We learnt that as long as we retained the rounded base, we could introduce elements of the square sides without adding weight. The rounded base means we need a holder for the bottle, which also protects it during transportation,” he adds.

Functional Creativity

Lightweighting craftsmanship was applied to every element of the design, from the precise lattice stopper to the bamboo frame and the protective transportation box. At just 180 grams, the bottle is an industry first. Not only has it been dramatically lightweighted, but the team has succeeded in maintaining its exquisite beauty, showcasing what luxury, lighter-weight bottles of the future might look like. It was therefore very exciting to be awarded a Guinness World Record for the lightest 70cl glass bottle in May 2025.

The edition is highly limited with just 888 handmade bottles released. The technology used for manufacturing Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra bottles of this weight is not yet available for large-scale launches. “The bottles are handmade, which limits the number we can put on sale,” Jeremy reveals.

Future of Lightweighting

The knowledge Johnnie Walker acquired is already being applied to lightweighting projects across the Diageo portfolio, so the impact of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra goes well beyond the limited edition.

Additionally, since announcing Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra in September 2024, the team has trained over 1,000 designers, including some from competing companies, in how to lightweight glass while retaining brand equity and beauty. “We did not wish to keep these breakthroughs to ourselves. We believe that progress is only truly meaningful when it is shared, and we are hopeful that this will have a positive impact on the wider industry,” Jeremy states.