OHYO AND BOOTS BOTTLE IT UP
A British-made, innovative drinks bottle which has defied predictions of the BBC's entrepreneurial programme Dragons' Den will shortly go on sale through retail giant Boots UK.
Ohyo, a collapsible pocket drinks bottle designed in Britain, will be available in selected stores from the beginning of June. An ingenious, flat-pack, water bottle that can be carried in a pocket and reused up to 10,000 times1, it eliminates the plastic waste caused by conventional bottled water and offers huge savings by using a simple solution; tap water.
Initially, the 500ml capacity Ohyo, which has sold over a quarter of a million units to date, will be marketed as an ‘impulse' buy in 110 London and airport stores. If all goes well, the products will be rolled out to stores across the UK.
Prior to the Boots deal, Ohyo was available on-line and in selected retail outlets. Its widespread customer appeal is reflected in its acceptance by premium retailers including M&S, National Trust Gift Shops, The Design Museum, British Museum Gift Shops - plus strong exports to Holland and Ireland.
Peter Morris, Assistant Buying Manager at Boots, said: "We're confident that our customers are going to love Ohyos. They're a fun, practical product with low environmental impact. We are always looking for new ways to make our customers lives simpler and more convenient and Ohyos certainly deliver this."
Guy Jeremiah, creator of Ohyo and David to the Dragons' Den Goliath, had his prototype plastic bottle hurled across the studio by enraged judge, Duncan Bannatyne. Today Guy says: "Ohyo is the product I always wanted to make, in spite of their reaction. Our new design, with pop-out spout, makes it even easier for more people to benefit from our cheaper alternative to bottled water.
"The average person in Europe buys 852bottles of mineral water a year, costing over £100. A typical local authority disposes of up to 10 million bottles annually at great cost to tax payers and last year, worldwide, we threw away 150 billion bottles, enough to stretch to the moon and back 50 times! Ohyo is made of reusable plastic3and is another step towards a sustainable alternative. Used in combination with Find-A-Fountain4, a service which promotes free water sources, everyone could save money and reduce their impact on the environment at the same time."
Turning his back on the entrepreneurial gurus of Dragons' Den, Jeremiah has shown what can be done with an innovative, yet simple, practical idea. Product developments are in the pipeline with a new, larger-capacity model Ohyo 1000 due this summer. No longer taking advice from the Dragons, the company now has UKTI OMIS (Overseas Market Introduction Service) and British Library Business & IP Centre support and is planning to extend Ohyo's reach to Sweden, Germany and the USA this year.
ends
For more information, press enquiries, samples, competition prize requests, images or interviews, please contact Louise Evans at Loop PR on +44 7891 242476 or emaillouise.evans@loop-pr.co.uk.
NOTES TO EDITORS
See link for details of Ohyo's durability testing:http://www.ohyo.me/media_centre/downloads
See link for background to this figure:http://efbw.eu/bwf.php?classement=07
Ohyo bottles are made from plastic which is PET and BPA free.
Ohyo manages the Find-a-Fountain campaign to promote free water sources in the UK - for more information visitwww.findafountain.org
FAQ
What is Ohyo?
Ohyo is a collapsible water bottle with a nozzle that can be re-used over 10,000 times. The big difference between Ohyo and Aquatina is the nozzle, which means that it can be used one-handed, instead of having to remove Aquatina's screw-top each time you want a drink.
What does the name ‘Ohyo' mean?
It's a combination of a play on the French word for water ‘eau' and a reference to the word ‘yo-yo', to denote the up and down action of the bottle.
Who is behind it?
Guy Jeremiah, creator of the original Aquatina. The entrepreneur was famously slated by Duncan Bannatyne on Dragon's Den, who threw the bottle back at him in rage. Guy's more than delighted to have proved the dragons wrong.
What are the benefits of the reusable bottle?
It's a sustainable, safe, cheaper and convenient alternative to buying bottled water.
Where's it made?
Ohyo was designed and is made in Britain.
Where can I get one?
Direct fromwww.ohyo.me. The website also lists stockists.