Mountain Dew cans feature thermochromic ink

New 16oz cans of Mountain Dew feature a colour changing ink that has been supplied by US based Chromatic Technologies (CTI).

To help capture consumers’ attention, the can features colour-changing artwork in the form of a bat that changes from grey to green when the can has chilled to its ideal drinking temperature of 46.4° F (8° C). The cans are promoting the feature film The Dark Knight Rises. They transform to the distinctive green colour of Mountain Dew when cooled.

Chromatic Technologies, a specialised inks company, provided the technology to make this possible.

“Mountain Dew was able to use CTI’s thermochromic ink to create an interactive experience with their limited-edition can promotion,” explains Melanie Edwards, CTI’s manager of strategic sales initiatives. “By incorporating CTI’s cold-activated, colour-changing ink technology into this special offering, it truly elevates the consumer interaction potential of the beverage package.”

The cans of Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, will be available for several months in the US, and are the result of design work initiated by Mountain Dew.

“We felt the use of thermochromic inks on these special cans would help drive purchases for our beverages,” adds Mike Gottschalk, art director for Mountain Dew.  “Innovation in packaging design enhances the credibility of the brand: graphics are one thing, but interesting inks and structural innovation provide a whole new meaning to our successful brand marketing efforts.”

Mountain Dew is the leading flavoured, carbonated soft drink in the US.  PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than US $65 billion and a portfolio of 22 brands, including businesses such as Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola.

CTI’s ‘thermochromic’ inks are temperature-activated and can be used in a variety of ways to enhance package designs such as hiding a message, signalling cold temperatures, indicators of product levels or an extension of the product’s brand messaging.

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