China: AB InBev launches limited edition 150 ml Budweiser can

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has launched a limited edition 150 ml Budweiser can in China in a premium metal packaging with a full aperture end, World Packaging News reported last week.

The new 200 diameter end was developed by Crown Holdings Inc specifically for this project and represents the first commercial application of full aperture ends in Asia. Branded the 360 End, the innovation allows the entire can lid to be removed, turning the can itself into a drinking cup.

The 150 ml package is slated for limited release in China, with nightclubs and the popular karaoke scene as primary end-use targets. The ends are being produced in Asia and converted in the United States, while the container is produced in Europe with final filling taking place in China. After the initial launch, production will be based in China.

“China has overtaken the U.S. as the world’s largest beer market, and younger consumers represent a large part of the country’s consumption of 40 billion litres of beer each year,” said Ricardo Dias, Vice-President of Procurement for AB InBev APAC.

“The unique size, ultra high quality graphics and full aperture end of the ‘ganbei’ (the Mandarin toast equivalent of “Cheers” in the West) can will help reinforce the positioning of Budweiser as a premium brand for aspiring and affluent Chinese consumers.”

04 January, 2013