Diageo’s Harp beer brand has traded in the old green and white can for a sleeker look in a larger 500 ml unit that Geoff Kosar, category director for Diageo, believes will appeal to young males 21 to 35.
“They are in their discovery life stage,” he said. “They drink primarily domestic beers right now, but love exploring imported beers.”
The old packaging was outdated and didn’t represent the quality of the product, said Kosar.
The new blue can from Juniper Park sports the brand’s credentials and award wins, and touts that it’s from the makers of Guinness.
“We wanted to make sure that consumers could recognize the brand and we had a lot of really good stories to tell about the beer,” said Kosar. “There’s an in increasing interest in the 500 ml can which is a huge emerging segment of the market.”
The packaging is supported by a digital marketing strategy and a national print campaign from the Traffik Group.
While Kosar declined to give a marketing budget, he said that it is a significant increase from what the company has previously invested in the brand.
