Philippe Starck just made the Perrier bottle design even more iconic

Philippe Starck Perrier bottle design
(Image credit: Perrier)

The French sparkling water brand Perrier is already easily recognisable thanks to the shape of its green bottle, but the design has just become even more iconic. To mark its 160th anniversary, it brought in one of France's best-known industrial designers to rebrand the bottle.

The overall shape of the bottle remains the same, ensuring that's it's still immediately recognisable as Perrier. But Philippe Starck's took inspiration from Fresnel lenses to add thin horizontal streaks to the glass, playing with how it defracts light while adding texture to the bottle. This isn't one of those weird brand collaborations that makes no sense. The combination is inspired.

Starck, perhaps most famous for his iconic Juicy Salif juicer for Alessi, described Perrier as a "globally recognised symbol and a monument of French heritage." He said: "Keeping the essence of an icon unaltered, it’s possible to distort and play with the shape to apply current parameters to a timeless form. This is what I did with the addition of this highly technical horizontal grooving, which creates a natural rigidity."

“But it’s not just about technique," he added "It’s also about exploring the Unknown. In my project, the Unknown is encapsulated in the notion that each bubble is a magnifying glass and that by using the structure to shape a Fresnel lens, I could create an optical surprise, bringing intrigue and a spark of fantasy.”

Philippe Starck designing the Perrier bottle design

Philippe Starck designing the new PERRIER + STARCK bottle design (Image credit: Perrier)

It's not the first time that Perrier has sought new creative input for its packaging. Several artists, including Takashi Murakami and the street artists JonOne, Kobra and Sasu, have designed labels for the brand in the past. But this is the first time a creative has been invited to redesign the bottle itself. 

Perrier bottle design

Takashi Murakami's Perrier bottles were released in 2020 (Image credit: Perrier)

The PERRIER + STARCK bottles are due to be launched internationally this month. for more inspiration, see our round up of inspiring packaging designs.

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Joseph Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news and features, updates buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment for creatives, from monitors to accessories and office supplies. A writer and translator, he also works as a project manager at London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives, where he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing photography, video content, graphic design and collaterals for the hospitality sector. He enjoys photography, particularly nature photography, wellness and he dances Argentine tango.