QUAKER STATE REDESIGNS ITS BOTTLES FOR MOTOR OIL

LISA A. TIBBITTS

OIL CITY, Pa. -- Quaker State here has redesigned its bottles of motor oil to coincide with the introduction of its partially synthetic 4x4 variety of oil.

In doing so, the bottles -- which also include the company's traditional Quaker State oil and its Synquest product -- were made more consumer-friendly and, at the same time, more space-efficient. "The introduction of the 4x4 is a fairly significant move for us. We felt we needed to debut that in a new bottle and we just now are introducing the new logo and the new shape," said Frank Dudowicz, director of marketing services. The 4x4 product is designed for sports utility vehicles, such as four-by-fours.

The reason for the redesign was actually motivated by two unrelated factors:

When Herb Baum, former Campbell Soup Co. executive, came on board in mid-1993 as chairman, president and chief executive officer, he pioneered a new vision for the company: It should become more pro-consumer and pro-marketing.

Both the label and the bottle designs of Quaker State oil were outdated. Because the bottle had a round footprint, it fit improperly in cases, leading to an improper fit of the cases on pallets which, in turn, resulted in spilled oil.

The redesign created a rectangular footprint that is 8% smaller than the one it replaces. The new pallet configuration holds 84 cases -- four more than before -- yet the pallet carries a 17% smaller footprint. The new label is 40% larger with graphics designed to have a greater impact. The redesign was completed by Deskey Associates, New York, a product design and identity company.