Press Releases
Consumer Quest For Purity in Super Premium Bottled Water Finds a New Contender: Icelandic Glacial
Thorlakshofn, Iceland (March 21, 2006)
U.S. Introduction of Extraordinarily Pure Spring Water Exclusively Bottled at Remote Source in Iceland - First Available in the United States at SuperTarget.
Icelandic Glacial makes its American debut, announcing distribution at 150 SuperTarget stores across the nation, as the first super-premium bottled water is now available to consumers via the mass-market retailer.
The Icelandic Glacial brand is capturing the attention of retailers with intense interest fueled by the growing number of discerning consumers seeking only the purest, natural spring water available.
The award-winning concept, bottle design, label and packaging fully capture consumer perceptions of Iceland. More specifically, the bottle design automatically conjures up images of purity, wide open spaces, glacial landscapes and crystal clear lakes set against mountainous backgrounds, all contained within a pollution-free, natural and largely uninhabited environment.
Recognizing the significant consumer interest in the purest, super-premium bottled water category, Target Stores have embraced the Icelandic Glacial brand and recently secured the sole distribution rights among mass-market retailers. Icelandic Glacial is now available in SuperTarget stores in half-liter six-packs with a suggested retail price of $5.49
ONE IN A MILLION
Icelandic Glacial’s patented bottle is a unique statement in package design and is the perfect complement to the rarified nature of the product and compelling allure of the spring water’s remote origins.
The exquisitely sculpted bottle design positions the brand with uniquely stylish differentiation. The square PET bottle with individually profiled panels, sports four different labels affixed randomly during production. This equates to 16 different variations of the same product and creates a stunning panoramic landscape when lined up on the shelf. The chances of having six identical bottles placed together randomly on a shelf has been estimated at a million to one.
According to Icelandic Water Holdings COO Patrick Racz, this unique concept cuts through the shelf clutter and creates “split-second differentiation” as the consumer’s eye is naturally drawn toward the products on-shelf presence.
The water has been acclaimed for its unique taste and exceptional purity, but the overall concept that Icelandic Glacial has successfully translated into a finished product is set to make a difference in the highly competitive arena of premium brand waters.
Racz commented, “The founders and management team that built the plant and created this product have been meticulous in every aspect of bringing it to market.” He considers the introduction of Icelandic Glacial to be the culmination of what the bottled water industry has been destined to achieve, including the segmentation of what has become a truly “super premium” category focused on purity. “Today, discerning consumers are not only looking for a product with superior taste and purity, they are increasingly influenced by overall aesthetics and an element of being seen with something different to commonly available brands. Bottled water as a fashion statement has arrived.”
4500 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Icelandic Water Holdings, ehf, was founded in April of 2004 and is headquartered in Thorlakshofn, Iceland.
Largely uninhabited and pollution free, Iceland has one of the cleanest environments on the planet and is universally acclaimed for the purity of its water. The source of this legendary water is the Ölfus spring, a naturally replenished catchment zone formed during a massive volcanic eruption over 4,500 years ago. Shielded from pollution by an impenetrable barrier of lava rock, this underground spring is one of the largest in the world and extends out under the ocean bed covering a total area of approximately 200 square miles.
The local government is particularly appreciative of the need to protect this valuable natural resource and has applied a 128,000-acre exclusion zone around the spring. No farming, animals or buildings are permitted in the surrounding area
Icelandic Water Holdings controls the sole commercial rights to bottle and sell water from the Ölfus Spring. Icelandic Water Holdings recently received a one hundred percent pass result from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).
