Sidel presents NUUK rPET water bottle design

Sidel’s art designers have created the NUUK bottle concept, drawing inspiration from the purity of ice and its formations. The NUUK brand takes its name from Greenland’s capital and the fjords that make it famous. The ‘Frozen, Authentic, Unique’ slogan highlights the brand’s attributes closely linked to water and its features. Produced from clear, 100% recycled PET (rPET), NUUK is a container designed for high-quality, fjord-sourced premium water brands.

With its pure, sophisticated and distinctive design, the 500 ml bottle showcases the water it contains and reflects the brand’s essence. Thanks to its asymmetric shape, NUUK stands out on the shelves, putting traditional water bottle designs in the shade.

An authentic frozen bottle arising from the ice

“The specific ice shape on the lower part of the bottle constitutes a great asset and reinforces its structure. It gives the impression that the bottle is surging up from the ice,” explains Laurent Lepoitevin, Packaging Design Engineer at Sidel. The deep bottle base resembles a rock glacier in line with its origins and is produced by Sidel’s patented Base Over Stroke System (BOSS). During the blowing process, the mechanical forming that takes place optimizes the material distribution in the final bottle base profile. The consistent blowing process uses a minimum amount of material. 

With its ice shape and blue color, the wide cap enhances the brand’s premium look and perception. The bottle is also compatible with tethered cap solutions to meet environmental requirements and forthcoming regulations. From the base to the bottle cap, the harmonious shape is taken to the next level with a transparent and cleanly designed label. The water’s purity can be clearly seen through the elegant and minimal typography, thus emphasizing the bottle’s appearance. “In addition to the water quality and integrity symbolized by the fjords, the use of 100% rPET goes hand in hand with Sidel’s sustainable commitment to achieve closed-loop food grade and recyclable plastic packaging,” adds Laurent. 

Geometric Viking art influences label design

The transparent Pressure-Sensitive Label (PSL) decoration is inspired by authentic Viking art, specifically the Borre style. In the 10th century, the Nuuk area was inhabited by Vikings who left their cultural imprint, including their art. Laurent explains, “The Borre style embraces a range of geometric interlacing, knot patterns, and zoomorphic (single animal) motifs.” 

Five versions of the label show different graphic designs based on this geometric interlacing. The brand logo is a snowflake combined with an ancient Norse symbol, Vegvisir, a symbol of protection and guidance believed to be used as a compass by Vikings. The other labels represent important Viking culture symbols, including the drakkar ship, two head-to-tail fish, the arctic fox, and the polar bear. Consumers can collect each bottle from this unique family.

With more than 20 years of creative PET packaging design expertise, Sidel can bring any idea to life. The company’s art designers work together with beverage and food industry players to understand their businesses and improve prospects. Sidel’s design team ensures full consistency across different brand components, from brand identity to industrial bottle production.

Note – Drakkar refers to the flat-bottomed longships used by the Vikings which were called ‘dragon ships’ by enemies such as the English because they had a dragon-shaped bow.