Mylanta, the well-known antacid brand, has returned to store shelves with a rejuvenated look. Studio One Eleven, a subsidiary of Berlin Packaging, assisted with the new design. Infirst Healthcare Inc. licensed the product from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, and in April it returned to stores like Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Kmart, Kroger and Wegmans.

Mylanta is a commonly recommended brand for heartburn and stomach issues. It left the store shelves in 2010 due to supply issues, but the company has returned with an improved taste, extra coating power and new products. This includes new packaging.

Infirst Healthcare approached Chicago-based Berlin Packaging about redesigning Mylanta’s flagship 12-ounce bottle. Berlin Packaging’s challenge included enticing customers back to the brand after a multi-year hiatus.

“As part of Mylanta’s return to the marketplace, we wanted to refresh our packaging and appeal to today’s consumers,” says Gigi Leporati, marketing director at Digestive Health.  “Our legacy teal bottle was synonymous with the liquid antacid segment, and the new Mylanta needed an equally unique bottle to continue that legacy. The bottle that Berlin designed not only speaks to the iconic Mylanta brand but has a number of convenience features that today’s consumers value.”

Berlin Packaging’s new design has the opportunity to reach a multitude of consumers at the shelves. A recent study by the American College of Gastroenterology said that 60 million American adults experience acid indigestion or heartburn at least once a month, with some 15 million experiencing it daily. The product has returned to the shelves with Mylanta Maximum Strength’s classic lemon mint liquid antacid/anti-gas remedy and a new modern flavor of vanilla caramel.

The bottle needed to promote convenience and ergonomic functionality while conveying the brand’s mantra of fast, soothing relief. “This balance was hugely important to Mylanta because of our loyal brand following,” explains Leporati. “Our design had to be new and modern but not so different that it was unrecognizable for the brand. The next biggest challenge was differentiating our bottle from competition, many of whom had copied our bottle style and color.”

Studio One Eleven created a custom bottle that built on the antacid’s previous brand features. The new packaging includes the calming teal mint color, which is an allusion to the original bottle, but it has been updated with a more contemporary feel.

The tapered, high-density polyethylene bottle has indents on both sides for solid gripping. A new feature involves the inclusion of a clear polypropylene dosage cup that snaps over the bottle cap. This cup, produced in clarified polypropylene, is debossed with the Mylanta name to discourage unintended uses. The dosage cup is secured at retail with a heat-sealed overwrap.

“With 90% brand awareness and a strong brand heritage, Mylanta’s label graphics amplify the look we were trying to achieve with the new bottle shape,” says Leporati.

According to Leporati, the new packaging should resonate with customers. “We expect that the heroic design and impactful graphics will have a positive influence on sales when shoppers see the product pop off the shelf and are reminded of why Mylanta has been a trusted heartburn medicine for all these years,” she adds. “Berlin has the unique capability to provide innovative design in the aesthetic and structural packaging shape, along with the ability to source the containers for us.”

In tandem with Mylanta, Infirst Healthcare is also launching a new line-extension, Mylanta Gas Minis. These tablets come in a pocket sized, tamper-resistant pop-top container from a European packaging vendor. The label graphics were developed in-house, and the packaging promotes portability and convenience. The chewable mini tablets are available in a 50-count pocket pack.