Cartils Branding & Packaging Design Consultants searches the world for different trends in specific categories. In the 2013 CARTILS|BeerWatch, the latest trends in the beer category (intrinsic & extrinsic) are presented.

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2013

2. C A R T I L S & B E E R
CARTILS Branding & Packaging Design Consultants has been active in the
international beer market since 1960. In order to deliver up-to-date design work
and branding advice, we constantly keep up with the trends and developments
in this category.
This presentation by CARTILS provides you with an overview of the recent
developments - either intrinsically or extrinsically driven - and their reflections
in packaging design. All developments are connected to shifting consumer
preferences.

3. I N T R I N S I C
D E S I G N D R I V E R S

4. Shifting consumer
preferences form the basis
for the rise of new products
and categories
There are two movements:

5. Experienced beer drinkers are
seeking more authentic, high
qualitative and stronger beers
- better ingredients
- stronger flavours
- authentic recipesShifting consumer
preferences form the basis
for the rise of new products
and categories
There are two movements:

6. A new generation of beer
drinkers is looking for accessible,
easy-drinkable beers for every
moment
- lighter tastes
- sweeter beer variants
Shifting consumer
preferences form the basis
for the rise of new products
and categories
There are two movements:
Experienced beer drinkers are
seeking more authentic, high
qualitative and stronger beers
- better ingredients
- stronger flavours
- authentic recipes

7. - Bottled draft beer
- Craft beer
- More premium beer
- Food matching beer
- Your own brew
Experienced
beer drinkers

8. Bottled draft beer
Especially in CIS countries,
bottled draft beer has been
popular for a while
These beers give the drinker
the perception of original and
authentic beer
On a design level it shows:
- bottle shapes referring to a
beer mug or barrel
- label design highly
contributing to an expression
of craftsmanship
Efes Efes Carlsberg Efes Carlsberg

9. Craft beer (1)
Currently, there is a further
expansion of consumers’ need for
authentic products, resulting in an
increasing popularity of craft beer
Brewed, with care and attention,
in small batches by independent
producers; microbreweries
It is not only about the beer itself,
but about the whole experience of
drinking it, which is clearly shown
in this BrewDog video:
Category dominated by:
- handmade / paper label look
- specific fonts
- ‘funny’ designs/illustrations

10. Craft beer (2)
Because of its success, also larger
beer breweries are paying more and
more attention to this trend, by:
- investing in or purchasing
microbreweries
- introducing their own
craft-like beers
Molson Coors AB Inbev Efes Molson Coors

11. More premium beer
Consumers’ preference for more
premium beverages has led to a
new category of more premium
beers with special tastes and
ingredients
These brands express and
underline brewmasters’
knowledge and expertise
The category shows:
- saturated colouring
- gold and silver accents
- crafted designs: refined
and well taken care of
AB InbevAB Inbev AB InbevCarlsberg

12. Food matching beer
Robinsons brewery (UK) and
Simon Rimmer, an established
British chef and broadcaster,
collaborated to introduce a
range of food matching beers
The collaboration between these
two experts delivers a high
quality perception
The three new beers
complement three dishes (curry,
steak, chicken) and bring out
the very best in the food

13. Your own brew
Best of British beer is responding
to the consumers’ need for
original and authentic recipes as
well
They are offering consumers the
chance to become ‘virtual
brewers’ and take part in the
creation of a new beer
The beers will be labelled
featuring the name of every
person who became a member
and bought a share

14. - Non-alcoholic beer
- Light crispy beer
- High alcoholic light beer
- Radlers
- Cocktail inspired RTD’s
- Ciders
New generation
of beer drinkers

15. Non-alcoholic beer
This category already exists for
several years, but obtains more
and more attention and acceptance
Consumers are getting more
conscious of their health, but
simultaneously still want to enjoy
a beer
These beers are more accessible
and can be consumed everywhere,
at any time
The category is growing by an
increasing amount of non-alcoholic
flavour variants, moving into the
soft drink category
SABMiller Bavaria Heineken AB Inbev AB Inbev

16. Light crispy beer
Increasingly, brands introduce
light crispy beers, aimed at
modern and stylish consumers,
especially women
With these lighter alcoholic beers
breweries respond to consumers’
accessible taste preference and try
to reach new consumer groups
In this category style dominates
over product expectations,
showing minimalistic designs
and soft colouring
CarlsbergMolson Coors
Independent
Distillers Australia

17. High alcoholic light beer
Bud Light also offers a refreshing,
drinkable and slightly sweeter
beer, but with a higher alcohol
percentage: 6% alc.vol.
With this beer, the brewery
targets consumers who are
looking for a lighter taste but also
for a real alcohol experience
Hereby, Bud Light Platinum
shows a new approach to the
light beer category
AB Inbev

18. Radlers
Traditionally, in Germany in
particular, consumers mixed beer
with soft drinks, the so-called
radlers or shandies
Currently, more and more brands
launch these drinks as RTD to
become more appealing and
accessible for a younger audience
Radlers’ fresh and sweeter
character is reflected in their
presentations:
- fresh colouring
- fruit illustrations
- dynamic fonts
Carlsberg Carlsberg Heineken Heineken SABMiller Heineken

19. Consumers’ need for sweeter,
accessible drinks is also reflected in
this pretty new category
There is an increasing offer of
cocktail inspired drinks, with
recipes including beer (Lime-A-Rita)
or new products, produced and
endorsed by a beer brewer
(Zlatopramen Mystery)
On a design level, these drinks
are characterized by ‘fun’
presentations
Cocktail inspired RTD’s
AB Inbev Baltika Heineken

20. Ciders
These refreshing alcoholic drinks,
derived by the fermentation of the
juice of apples, form an emerging
category
Initially aimed at women in
particular, the category is
characterized by clean and fresh
designs and organic shapes
With the introduction of Strongbow
men are targeted as well with a
more masculine presentation
The category also shows an
increasing amount of flavour
variants, like pear and red/dark
fruit
Molson Coors AB Inbev Molson Coors Heineken Heineken

21. E X T R I N S I C
D E S I G N D R I V E R S

22. Consumers not just buy and
consume the product, they
want to experience it
This results in a more 360°
approach in packaging design: - Tactile experiences
- Shaped cans
- Innovative can closures
- Special foil on cans
- Advanced printing inks
- Two-color UV ink printing
- Smart beer bottles
- Experience-focused
brand activation

23. Tactile experiences
Outstanding bottle shapes and
brand own embossings have
already been there for a while
However, brands are paying more
and more attention to these
aspects, giving the consumer a
tactile experience
Consumers’ reactions to
Miller Lite’s redesign clearly show
that tactility indeed contributes
to their experience:
SABMiller SABMiller Heineken Carlsberg
Carlsberg
Efes Baltic
Beer
Company Ltd.
Grupo
Mahou-
San Miguel
Carlsberg
AB Inbev

24. Shaped cans
Earlier, shaped cans were used
in order to enhance product
expectations
The new Budweiser Bow Tie can,
uses its unique shape to support
the brand’s VBI and to ‘bring the
brand to life’
Carlsberg Efes
Sapporo
brewery
AB Inbev

25. Innovative can closures
New techniques, giving an easy
pour and an even smoother
drinking experience:
Castle Lite’s Cold Rush Easy
Flow can (SABMiller)
Bud Light’s 12oz vented can
(AB Inbev)
Coors Light’s double-vented
wide mouth (Molson Coors)
Budweiser’s 360° removable cap
(AB Inbev)

26. Special foil on cans
Grolsch (SABMiller) recently
introduced a special taste-
protecting foil on the inside of its
cans
Due to the Quality Liner, drinking
from a can will give the same
qualitative taste experience as
drinking from a bottle

27. Thermochromic ink already
exists for several years to
indicate a beers perfect chill
Now it is also available in a
variety of colours, which enables
a more visible and specific ‘cool
indication’
Advanced printing inks (1)

28. Photochromic ink is a
transparent ink that reacts and
changes colour when exposed to
natural daylight
This new printing technology
delivers a special experience at
outdoor activities
Advanced printing inks (2)

29. Two-color UV ink printing
The new Heineken Origami-
inspired aluminium club bottle
shows two-color UV ink printing
A sophisticated design, giving
the consumer a real ‘club
experience’

30. ‘Smart’ beer bottles (1)
The new Heineken Ignite bottle
contains a 8-bit microprocessor
and an accelerometer
It interacts with other bottles, its
surroundings and the people
around it, creating a special
drinking experience

31. ‘Smart’ beer bottles (2)
Heineken’s Strongbow Gold
StartCap is the world’s first
digital bottle cap
Based on RFID technology, the
bottle can trigger actions at the
pub or at other locations
This combination of technology
and product experience delivers
added enjoyment to the
consumers

32. ‘Smart’ beer bottles (3)
Beck’s Edison Bottle (AB Inbev) is
the first-ever music bottle, played
on the Edison-inspired prototype
of the cylindric phonograph
This new concept brings beer and
music together, giving the
consumer a unique experience

33. Budweiser Brazil (AB Inbev)
has introduced special, ‘social’
glasses: Büddy Cups
By just clinking them together,
the cups will enable anyone to
befriend a person on Facebook
Experience-focused
brand activation (1)

34. Experience-focused
brand activation (2)
Both, Tiger (Heineken) and Beck’s
(AB Inbev) started collaborations
with artists and musicians
Tiger Beer Ltd Edition boxes: the
artists’ illustrations display their
interpretations of what makes
Tiger Beer and Asia distinct
Beck’s Limited Art bottles support
artists in their work and deliver
consumers a cultural experience
while drinking a beer. See video:

35. S U M M A R Y

36. Authentic
High quality
Stronger
More premium
Accessible
Sweeter
For every moment
Lighter
INTRINSIC
DESIGN DRIVERS

37. Experience focused
360° approach
EXTRINSIC
DESIGN DRIVERS

38. The images used in this presentation are screenshots or other images that
were available on the Internet. As such, the copyright for them is most likely
owned by the company or corporation that produced it. For the composers of
this presentation it was impossible to retrieve all these copyright owners and
ask for permission to use the imagery. Images are used purely to illustrate
this observation of market trends and were taken from publicly accessible
sources.
If any party feels treated disrespectfully or abused by our approach, please
contact us at: strategy@cartils.com
You have just been inspired by the
CARTILS|BeerWatch 2013. For more information,
please contact Lianne van den Berg-Weitzel MSc,
strategy director at CARTILS:
l.vandenberg@cartils.com