Smurfit Westrock, AB InBev and JKR have designed a fibre-based packaging concept that carries one bottle of alcohol-free Corona Cero beer for each day of the week.
Seeking to combine consumer insight with paper-based packaging, the “7 Days, 7 Moments” concept comprises a consumer pack and corrugated transport solution. It is intended as a ‘distinctive’ format that that protects products throughout the supply chain while supporting sustainability ambitions.
Smurfit Westrock utilized its Design2Market process to foster collaboration between teams and develop, prototype, and refine multiple solutions, then select a scalable design for global rollout, in ‘a matter of weeks’.
The format caters to a growing market for alcohol-free beverages, with 61 million consumers believed to have entered the no-alcohol category between 2022 and 2024.
“Our role here was to bring together the people, expertise and capabilities needed to ensure speed to market for one of the world’s biggest brands,” commented Arco Berkenbosch, chief innovation officer at Smurfit Westrock.
“The complexity was happening behind the scenes; our goal was to make the journey feel simple, from the first idea through to a solution that could be tested, produced and brought to market in an exceptionally short timeframe.”
In other news, Zafree Papers and 100+ Accelerator’s ‘tree-free’ beer packaging – corrugated cartons made using upcycled pseudostems from banana farms – was the Overall Winner at last year’s Sustainability Awards. The packaging claims to reduce deforestation, cut emissions, and strengthen local supply chains.
Since then, Heineken and Heinzhave celebrated the World Cup 2026 with a six-pack containing five beer bottles and one bottle of ketchup. While some praised the format for making the connection between summertime, sporting events, and the food and drink typically enjoyed outdoors, others questioned whether the combination served any real purpose beyond marketing.
