Guinness Draught Cans Get New Look for Christmas

The redesign is part of a £5m marketing push for Guinness Draught, which will also include distributing samples at the point of sale and advertising in the press to explain the changes to the packaging to drinkers.

24 Sep 2009 --- Diageo has overhauled the packaging for its Guinness Draught beer as part of a multimillion-pound marketing campaign ahead of Christmas.

The new primary and secondary packs will hit shops next week. The company, which celebrates the 250th anniversary of signing the lease for its Dublin brewery, undertook the redesign to help the drink stand out on shelves over the festive season.

Changes featured on the packaging include cans with a wider mouth, which Diageo said made pouring the drink more convenient and helped create a smoother head.

The redesign is part of a £5m marketing push for Guinness Draught, which will also include distributing samples at the point of sale and advertising in the press to explain the changes to the packaging to drinkers.

The new packs feature the Arthur Guinness signature, a prominently displayed 'draught' label to distinguish it from the rest of the Guinness range and information on the best way to serve the drink.

Diageo said its research had shown the redesigned packaging appealed to a wider audience than the previous version.

Diageo marketing manager for Guinness Richard Barlow said: "Our research has indicated the new Guinness Draught in a Can packaging will be hugely successful in delivering a high impact, quality and contemporary look that is truly reflective of Guinness today."

The cans are available in multipacks of four, six, 10, 12 and 18 cans. The 18-can multipacks offer consumers the opportunity to send away for a branded Guinness glass.

Guinness is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Arthur Guinness signing the lease on the St James Gate brewery in Dublin. The original lease was for 9,000 years at a rate of £45 a year.