Still Heineken at any stretch

POPULAR BEER Heineken comes in a new “star” bottle, its first major package redesign since 1964. It’s got a longer neck to make it look sleeker and more modern and there’s a cleverly designed thumb groove for added grip nice and low on the body.
In place of the paper label around the bottle’s neck is the brand name embossed in the glass with its trademark red star, which makes it more prominent on the shelf. Everyone’s still going to recognise it in an instant anyway, of course – the bottle retains that well-known green shade.
And inside is the same smooth, full-bodied beer with a complexity that balances fruity notes with mild bitterness, a century-old trademark that no one’s going to change.
The “Heineken: A Star is Reborn” launch party that greeted the new look in Bangkok drew a good crowd to Horizon on the 19th floor of Zen World. Celebrities including Dome Pakorn Lum, Shahkrit and Woonsen Yamnarm, Janesuda Parnto, Guy Ratchanon and Way from Thaitanium mingled with the other trendsetters and key figures in art and design.
The crowd was blown away by the spectacular graphic-mapping projection and the specially made, glow-in-the-dark “smart LED” bottles that come with motion sensors and tiny lights that keep time to music.
Gerard Adriaan Heineken made his first lager in 1873 and it still involves purified water, malted barley, hops and yeast. In 1886 H Elion unveiled the Heineken A-yeast that’s still used today. What’s new at the brand is a commitment to remaining a trend leader for social gatherings and offering new experiences.