Heineken redesigns cans to target contemporary drinkers

Heineken is introducing a fresh redesign to its beer cans that dials down the brand’s trademark green to emphasise the aluminium in the hope of appealing to contemporary men.

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Heineken has redesigned its cans to appeal to contemporary men living in urban cities.

The new “Star Can’ (see above) is rolling out to the 170 countries where the beer is sold, with some markets to start selling ahead of the crucial summer sales season. It appears on all sizes and is already available in travel retail outlets across Western Europe.

The update, created by design agency DBOD, is the first in five years and plays up the can’s aluminum elements to create a more “masculine”, “thirst-quenching” look. Heineken has also replaced the white centre of the green logo so that it is more in-synch with the rest of the can.

The designs of cans is said to be of growing importance by alcohol experts, who cite manufacturing advancements for stopping the beer in the cans tasting like metal. The trend has been especially prevalent in the US where big and small brewers alike have revamped the designs to enhance the taste and appeal to more discerning drinkers.

Heineken hopes its own effort will set it apart on store shelves worldwide as it ramps up efforts to target men living in urban cities. The brewer’s previous efforts have seen it partner with the James Bond series, invest in branded social content and most recently launch a multi-million campaign to localise its global positioning around “adventure” in different cities.

The business announced plans to increase marketing and innovation investment to drive growth in February after seeing volume sales drop in key territories such as Western Europe. It is preparing a global social media content push over the coming months to present accounts of urban adventure stories it has sourced.

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