H E I N E K E N
...selective distribution keeps
aluminium bottle exclusive...
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One of the ways to keep the brand vital is to make space for
innovation, argues Chairman Thony Ruys in this issue of
The World of Heineken. The aluminium bottle that was developed
by the French Operating Company Brasseries Heineken is an
outstanding example of innovative strength.
In the trendy nightclubs in Paris the number of visitors with a
beer in their hand was steadily, but unmistakably decreasing.
Brasseries Heineken took the signal seriously and went in search
of the reasons why. Why were the trendy young people turning
away from beer? Was it due to the product and were people
temporarily attracted by an alternative drink? The conclusions
from the study were striking: the product itself was still highly
PAGE 34
popular, but in the eyes of the young adult consumers the
packaging did not fit in with the surroundings.
The French designer Ora-ïto was commissioned by Brasseries
Heineken to set to work and came up with the idea of developing
an aluminium bottle for Heineken: a creative mix of two packaging
methods. In May 2002 the aluminium bottle was put on the
market in a limited number of on premise outlets. The exclusive-
ness of the bottle was also given extra emphasis because of its
limited availability (from May through to the end of the summer
period) and the limited production run.
Pascal Peltier, Heineken and Amstel Marketing Manager at Brasseries
Heineken, looks back with satisfaction on the introduction of the