To immediate communicate the ‘fresh’ proposition, we wrapped Heineken EXTRA VERS bottles in craft paper mimicking the newspaper farmer’s markets wrap fresh vegetables and fish in. The wrap was an instantaneous visual signifier: this Heineken is different, fresher, and should be handled with care. We carefully crafted every detail: the paper’s colour; the crisp tactility, the typography, which is Heineken’s house font tweaked into a letter type feel. In fact, we never strayed far from the iconic and trustworthy Heineken house style. By ‘scuffing’ it up in an originally way we introduced a veneer of authenticity and naturalness to an iconic global brand.

Heineken is a strong global brand with formidable and easily recognized packaging identity. Our challenge was to create something original and eye-catching without straying too far away from this identity. The paper wrap was in fact crucial, not only as a visual signifier but also as a very functional extra layer of protection against UV light to which the bottles are exposed during transportation. It also freed us up to think beyond the traditional contours and guidelines of a typical Heineken bottle – a blank canvas on which to design. Yet even here we retained the brand’s visual progressiveness by choosing craft paper with a refreshing silver sheen and white tone-sur-tone text and elements that are recognizable to every Heineken drinker.

The results during the first 3 months are triple the business case. Added value for the retailers is very significant, and importantly, EXTRA VERS recruits 80% new consumers into the Heineken franchise. Finally, people started talking about the characteristics and sensitivities of Heineken lager beer, which will improve the perception of the brand and slowly but certainly ensure that they enjoy their regular Heineken also in a better way: fresh and properly treated. It does taste better!