When McCormick Distilling Co. Inc. of Weston, Mo., decided to shift the bottling of its Tarantula Azul blue citrus-flavored tequila from Europe back to the United States, it was challenged to design a bold new package to help meet its overall marketing objectives.

To achieve its goal of creating a package with a distinctive look and warm feel, it call upon Saxco International Inc., Horsham, Pa., world-wide packaging specialists for the wind and spirits industry.

"We made the decision to shift our bottling back to the United States for cost-savings purposes, as well as to avoid confusion in the spirits industry trade and with tequila enthusiasts, " says Jim Zargo, chief operating officer of McCormick Distilling Co. "Everyone was puzzled by a tequila which was bottled in Italy. The fact is, it�s a premium spirit which is outstanding for making marguerites," Zargo notes.

Saxco was challenged to come up with a new bottle resembling the original European version. It ultimately would recommend and source a private mold 750ml flint glass bottle shaped like a flask. It sourced the glass through Consumers Glass of Toronto, Canada.

Working closely with McCormick�s in-house design team, Saxco also would produce and apply the pressure-sensitive labels for the Tarantula Azul tequila bottle. The labels were completed by Pre-Deco of Bardstown, Ky.

"The Saxco portion of the project took six months to complete," states Herbert L. Sachs, president of Saxco International. "We were challenged to come up with a bold, new design reminiscent of its European counterpart, staying within McCormick�s budgetary guidelines," Sachs states. "We were delighted with the overall result on behalf of our client."

Tarantula Azul is currently being marketed in 45 states throughout the United States.