ETCH Sparkling: Finding the right look for a booming non-alcohol market

With the non-alcohol market gaining traction in Australia and overseas, there’s a major opportunity for drinks providers to craft healthier products for their customers. ETCH Sparkling is doing exactly that, but they needed a label that matched their selection of high-quality drinks.

Here’s how Luminar helped ETCH Sparkling shine bright in this growing drinks segment.

CHALLENGE: Making alcohol-free drinks attractive to adults

Based on the mantra of “every time choose health”, ETCH Sparkling was designed as an alcohol-free option for adults that also heroes Australian native plants and sustainable practices

As a former winemaker on the Mornington Peninsula, co-founder Jason Quin experienced firsthand Australia’s often-unhealthy drinking culture. So while he decided to shift away from the wine sector, he still wanted to make an impact on the space where he had spent more than two decades of his career.

“Australians love drinking, but it’s a ritual of drinking,” he says. “If we are a healthy society, then why do we binge-drink the way we do? There’s a huge amount of Aussies who are now choosing to abstain, so I thought, ‘What if there was more choice?’ With non-alcohol sales growing more than five times in the past year, it just made sense.”

But making non-alcoholic drinks attractive would be tough, which is why Jason and co-founder Andy focused on getting ETCH Sparkling to taste fantastic.

“We wanted to be braver with taste,” Jason says. “It’s about championing those native ingredients, using low or no sugar – we only use honey – and guaranteeing sustainable farming practices, which is why our plants are grown naturally in both wild farms and commercial farms.”

Jason Quin and Andy Quin

SOLUTION: Premium label over pre-printed cans

How ETCH Sparkling began a partnership with Luminar was somewhat serendipitous. A chance meeting at a farmer’s market on the Mornington saw Jason sell a few bottles to Elliot Boylan, Luminar’s National Business Manager. The pair exchanged details and, realising there was now greater demand for cans over bottles, Jason knew he needed a partner who could deliver a high-quality solution in a short amount of time.

“We already had ETCH Sparkling bottles, but some of our customers wanted cans for their venues, particularly for companies running music events and at places like the Peninsula Hot Springs. I gave Elliot a call, he was responsive and linked up with our designer and production crew straight away.”

The rest flowed like clockwork.

“Feedback on the cans and labels has been fantastic,” Jason says. “It feels premium, and the labels look so much better than pre-printed cans. The black lid costs a little bit more, but it gives the product some zing, and with the wrap-around label I find that people just like holding it.”

RESULTS: Forging a new segment with native Australian ingredients

Jason says working with Luminar has been a dream. “They’re a supportive partner who are easy to do business with. Elliot continually provided solutions, suggestions and ideas about different printing formats. We were given left-field creative ideas, and even though we didn’t ended up using all of them it was great service compared to someone who just gets the design proof and executes it without a second thought.”

ETCH Sparkling isn’t stopping any time soon. With three flavours in circulation (ZST, PLM and HNY), they’re keen on becoming the leader of using native Australian ingredients in the drinks sector. And when the time comes for more labelling and packaging solutions, Jason knows who he’ll turn to.

“Turnaround times were good, and the quality of stock is good,” he says. “That’s why we chose Luminar, and it’s why we will continue to use them again.”

Want to make your product sing in your customers’ hands? Luminar will work with you throughout the entire production journey. Contact the experts on (02) 9634 3100 or get a quick quote today.