Danone extends Shape brand into bottled water

French dairy and mineral water company Danone is to extend its Shape yoghurt brand with a bottled water launch.

Danone Waters will introduce Shape bottled water early next year, in three flavours: raspberry and strawberry, pineapple, and apple. The product will be available in one-litre bottles.

An insider says the one-litre size falls between a “take-home” and an “on-the-go” drink, and the product is likely to be taken up as a drink to keep in the fridge at work. Danone Waters project leader Caroline Le Guennec is thought to be overseeing the development.

Danone bought Shape from St Ivel in August 2002. It recently announced a line of diet yoghurts under the name Shape Pleasures.

Danone Water’s portfolio already includes Danone Activ, Evian and Volvic. The company appointed Christine Renier as UK marketing director in February (MW February 2).

Danone’s sales were up 5.5 per cent, year on year, in the third quarter of this year, although sales in the beverages division fell by 4.7 per cent. The company said this reflected poor weather conditions in northern Europe this year, after last summer’s heatwaves.