Brand development that increases sales velocity, guaranteed.

5 Drink Designs that Should Have Been Poured Down the Sink.

Since water is no longer the new black (in terms of beverage fashion), manufacturers have been trying to develop alternative fluids that will stimulate and quench the public thirst for potable excitement. We’ve all gone mad over SodaStream and Kombucha; we’ve universally rejected the Thanksgiving Dinner Soda. Maybe we need a beverage container that is as delicious as a sweet, sweet homemade Mountain Dew.

Unfortunately, not all beverage containers thrill the mind and please the soul. The following beverage container designs, conceived by truly malevolent packaging design companies, are examples of the very low esteem to which these brands hold the general public. We will go ahead and believe that some of these containers were merely misguided; others might have resulted from the ingestion of powerful narcotics. Whatever the case may have been, we shudder to think what was going on in the development meetings. We’re looking at you, Billy Boy Energy Drink.

Kirkland Milk Jug

Please, enjoy some wholesome, USDA certified milk, secure in the knowledge that we are not trying to pour you a glass of motor oil, even though the packaging would have you believe so.

This drink design was meant to economize the transport of gallon jugs of milk; it allows for transporting and storing more units than the traditional design. However, the shallow cap is difficult to grip, the bottle can’t be poured without risk of spilling a significant amount of liquid, and it is hideously unappealing. A triple threat!

Billy Boy Energy Drink

Mercy. The less said about this, the better. Nonetheless, what exactly is this drink meant to energize?

Zola Acai

Zola Acai

Fools that we are, we assumed that acai fruit offers physical health benefits through antioxidant compounds. It turns out that it is actually a magic elixir that summons mystical cheetahs and samba-dancing vixens that rip the impurities right out of your tissues. Live and learn.

Zola Acai Power Juice is, we’re sure, a wonderful product, lovingly prepared and filled with only the finest ingredients. And we’re not just saying that because we have succumbed to the supernatural psychic powers of the woman on the logo. We hear and obey.

Cellstar Superfruit Juice

Cellstar Superfruit Juice

Why do ostensibly healthy fruit juice manufacturers go for the most artificial packaging concepts ever? Do they want to fool the public into thinking they are drinking pure high fructose corn syrup flavored Ethyl methylphenylglycidate?

This drink design concept, with its little muscle-bound pomegranate seed logo, promises abundant anti-aging properties and immune system-strengthening ingredients. Bizarre, since the toddler market to whom it is clearly appealing is less concerned with aging than it is with the mastery of Hi-Ho Cherry-o.

Bottle Fruit Juice

Bottle Fruit Juice

 

We sincerely don’t know what this even is. Nevertheless, the product description insists that it is, in fact, a fruit juice, which we imagine is sourced from only the freshest, hand-squeezed bubble gum fruit.

In addition to bubble gum fruit juice, this manufacturer also offers “Barbie Candy and Gums,” “Choco Music Candy,” “Biggest Cup Jelly,” and “Dip Biscuit.” According to the distributor’s description, these products “are available in different flavors and are prepared hygienically by maintaining the nutritional value.” Willy Wonka better watch his back.

There you have it; some of our favorite hideous beverage container designs. So, what have we learned today? We learned that an ideal drink design will convey the actual drinkability of the product and not try to fool the consumer into believing it contains an industrial solvent. We learned that nothing says health and wellness like a salivating cheetah, ready to spring. We learned that the designers for the Billy Boy Energy Drink can are probably on some public menace registry. Most importantly, we learned that “Dip Biscuit” would be a great name for a prog-rock band.

Data-Driven Brand Development

Want a best-selling brand? SmashBrand is a brand development company for FMCG and CPG brands. From brand strategy to packaging design testing, our Path To Performance™ process guarantees a retail performance lift. Book a time to discuss your project with our team.

Subscribe to
Nice Package.

SmashBrand’s Nice Package: Stay current with our latest insights

Free Resource.
CPG product repositioning guide.
CPG product repositioning guide.

Explore the five undeniable signs your CPG product needs repositioning along with strategies for leveraging consumer insights for a guaranteed market lift.

Download Whitepaper About CPG product repositioning guide.

More from SmashBrand

Design, NICE PACKAGE

8 Strategies to Get Taste Cues Right at Shelf

Learn 8 strategies to improve taste cues in pancake mix packaging design and boost shelf impact, conversion, and perceived flavor instantly.

Design, NICE PACKAGE

The Problem with Packaging Design That Looks Different.

Most brands chase standout visuals without asking a harder question, does it make the product easier to recognize and buy? That gap kills performance. If your design stands out but doesn’t convert, it’s failing. Want to see why? Read on.

Category Insights, Shopping With Christy

Why Rao’s Soup Misses the Mark on This Packaging Design.

Brand extension can be a powerful growth strategy, but only if it’s executed with clarity. In this case, the transition from pasta sauce into soup creates confusion rather than differentiation. The biggest issue is visual overlap. Using the same jar, color palette, and overall look as the pasta sauce line makes it difficult to immediately…

Category Insights

This Retail Display Tells You Everything About a Brand in Trouble

When packaging starts working against the brand, it shows up quickly, especially on the shelf. In this case, the execution creates confusion instead of clarity. The most immediate issue is readability. If shoppers can’t quickly identify the brand name or fully read the tagline, the pack loses its primary job: recognition. “Thirst’s worst” is a…

Category Insights

Why This Parent and CPG Marketer Secretly Loves This “White” Bread

Sometimes the most powerful packaging change is verbal. A single line of copy can unlock the entire value proposition. In this case, the product already solved a real consumer tension: the desire for healthier bread that still feels and tastes like white bread. But previously, that benefit was implied rather than stated. Shoppers had to…

Category Insights

Wait, Sargento Makes Crackers Now? Not Exactly

Brand extensions only work when trust transfers seamlessly, and that’s where this execution creates friction. At first glance, the product signals cheese, not crackers. The name, visuals, and dominant cues all lean heavily into cheese equity, leaving the actual product format unclear. That confusion matters. Shoppers rely on quick recognition, and if they can’t immediately…