Heineken heralds a new era

A new design adds impact to an already well-loved brew.

BEER is beer is beer, right? Well, not exactly...

To the connoiseur, there is a veritable difference in the brew – the finer points of taste, and even the way it pours, colours how it goes down. What more the bottle in which your favourite beer appears in.

Beer drinkers can be a passionate lot when it comes to choosing the brew of their choice. And while it may be just another bottle to the Ordinary Joe, Heineken views its containers very seriously.

After all, we’re talking about the familiar green bottle for which Heineken has come to be readily recognised. The classic, iconic bottle chosen by the founder Gerard Heineken is still used today, but with intelligent little tweaks and details.

As part of a campaign to mark the streamlining of the brand’s visual identity, Heineken – the world’s No.1 international premium beer – has come up with a new bottle design for all of its 176 markets around the globe.

The new bottle presents a more modern and appealing look.

“We know our drinkers notice small details, which is why Heineken Global has dedicated so much time to this design update. Every single element has been carefully considered to ensure our drinkers feel a subtle but significant difference,” says Yap Swee Leng, marketing director of Guinness Anchor Berhad.

Remaking the Heineken bottle was no straightforward matter. Indeed, it required fine science and much deliberation. The introduction of tactile elements into the bottle design, for instance, reaffirms Heineken’s quality and authenticity throughout the drinking process.

Distinctive differences

Five subtle but distinctive features make the new design stand apart from the old bottle.

> The bottle cap has the “quality” mark and carries the red Heineken star. The bottle shoulder has been reworked slightly to give it a stronger edge, lending “an air of masculinity and pride”.

> The taller, slimmer shape elongates the bottle, giving it a modern feel, reaffirming its premium position. There’s now a vertical branding on the bottle neck which emphasises the new bottle. The red star on top is symbolic of Heineken’s strong heritage.

> The curve-shaped embossing on the neck and back provides a stamp of authenticity and class, and adds a new tactile nature to the brew.

> There’s an all-new thumb groove that encourages the bottle to be held lower down so as to improve the grip, allowing the beer to stay colder. The ellipse style of the embossment was inspired by Heineken’s iconic racetrack label.

> Lastly, one of most apparent changes is the body label, which is now a transparent template and sits higher on the bottle, emphasising the shoulder. The label has been moved to a higher position to underline the higher shoulder. The racetrack boarder has been opened up, making the label more refined. This change is quite significant as it allows more light to go through the bottle, making it appear quite different but yet very much the same green bottle.

“We have looked at each and every packaging detail to ensure our sophisticated consumers feel a subtle but significant difference. They perceive the new design to be modern, appealing and innovative,” says Mark van Iterson, global manager of Heineken design and concept, one of the key people behind the design.

According to Yap, Heineken is always thinking ahead.

“Globally, the restyling took more than two years and involved a large number of people across the company, as well as several agencies. We believe, as part of the global roll-out, the new design introduced with new innovative design details will give our consumers an enhanced drinking experience.”

The new look not only serves to stamp Heineken’s position in terms of taste but also in design.

“The brand has dedicated time and resources to this design update, making sure every single element was taken into consideration. Con-sumer response has been excellent.

“One of the insights from our many consumer researches revealed that men are not only more perceptive, but are also better at noticing design details on desirable products, such as the weighty bezel on a luxurious watch or the silk lining of a designer suit.

“This finding had led us to create the new iconic bottle that reflects our discerning consumers’ needs, and also Heineken as a progressive and worldly brand with passion for quality,” she quips.

Major investment

The new bottle campaign was a big step forward by Heineken as it involved major investment into new machinery, consumer and promotion activities, as well as trade initiatives, all of which amounted to RM38mil.

In the past, the machinery in the existing factories was not equipped to handle plastic labels. And it was built to run at a maximum capacity of 40,000 pint bottles per hour (bph) and/or 20,000 quart bph. Given the latest innovation, the factory currently runs at a maximum of 40,000 pint bph and 30,000 quart bph.

Not only is it now able to handle the new plastic labels but the labeller is able to rotate the embossed bottle to place the label in the correct position. All these take precision work and is no mean feat.

“Embarking on this project required upgrading our machinery and labelling techniques. It was also the solution to sustainable bottling which served as a challenge for us to create this new iconic bottle. To be consistent with the campaign, the same unique design is incorporated into the Heineken glasses as well.

“We are also the first brewery in the region (Asia Pacific) to introduce the returnable bottle policy with the clear plastic label,” explains Yap.

The clear labels are already in use in countries like China and Japan but they are not recycled. These are dubbed “one-way markets”. Other countries that will launch the new bottle progressively at later stages include Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

Celebration tour

Heineken will be celebrating their milestone bottle design together with consumers with an invite-only launch party in Kuala Lumpur today, featuring renowned DJ Ferry Corsten. Then, the celebration tour continues with parties in Johor, Ipoh and Penang with entertainment by popular local talent DJs Blink, Goldfish, Nick Haydez and Tommy Cham. The finalists of Heineken Found @ Thirst DJ Search will also make their presence felt with a few surprises up their sleeves. For more information on Heineken’s exciting activities, stay tuned to its Facebook page (facebook.com/HEINEKEN) or the website (heineken.com.my).