FDBusiness.com

Heineken has restyled its famous green bottle design using a longer neck and reduced the number of bottle sizes from 15 to five as the Dutch brewer seeks to improve brand uniformity across its international markets and to simplify its supply chain and enhance efficiency. The new bottle design will be launched in Western Europe early in 2011 and across the rest of the world, with the exception of the US which favours shortneck bottles, by 2012.

The new bottle is available in two versions – embossed and standard. The new design features a unique curved embossment on the neck and back. The new packaging also incorporates updates to key brand elements including an ellipse curve, derived from Heineken’s iconic racetrack logo, Heineken’s trademark green colour has been enriched and its red star emblem has been raised above the logo.

“We believe that with one recognisable bottle the global Heineken brand will be further strengthened. With uniformity comes greater impact,” explains Mark van Iterson, global manager of Heineken design and concept. “The bottle will reinforce the new packaging visual identity which has already been applied to the contemporary tactile can and embossed glasses that were introduced in selected markets earlier this year. As the market leader we pride ourselves on being progressive in design as well as taste.”

Heineken’s new can design features tactile ink, which is created by a series of small raised dots on the surface of the can, to give consumers a better feeling in the hand and better grip.

He adds: “Our consumer focuses on details. This is why Heineken has dedicated time and resources to this design update, making sure every single element was taken into consideration. We have looked at each and every packaging detail to ensure our sophisticated consumers feel a subtle but significant difference. Consumer response has been excellent. They see the new design to be modern, appealing and innovative.”