12.11.2008

Brau 2008: Heineken brings back beer brand Pelforth

French re-launch in highly sophisticated beverage can

Nuremberg, 12th November 2008. – Revival for Pelforth: Heineken is bringing the French beer brand back into the shops. Pelforth Blonde and Brune came on to the French market in March 2008 in a matt varnished half-litre can with three-dimensional embossing. The container supplied by Ball Packaging Europe, one of the leading beverage can makers in Europe, underlines the premium quality of the beer.

Set up in Lille in 1914, the Pelforth brewery has belonged to Heineken, the largest brewery group in Europe, since 1988. Pelforth Blonde is a pale bottom-fermented beer which contains less alcohol (5.8 percent) than the somewhat heavier top-fermented Brune (6.5 percent). Both types are available on the French market in a new packaging: a Ball Packaging Europe can with a special finish.

Fascinating packaging
The consumer is attracted to 500 ml can from Ball Packaging Europe by its sophisticated surface feel. A special embossing technique highlights details of the design by impressing the surrounding sections. This technology gives a tactile finish to beverage can designs. Large brand producers use embossing to highlight the premium quality of their beers. The aluminium can is also coated with a matt varnish. "This combination is unique for us to date ", explains Sigrid Küchmeister, Director Marketing at Ball Packaging Europe.  "The can becomes an eye-catcher on the retail shelf and stands out clearly from competitive products. Consumers perceive the beverage to be a premium product - and purchase it“. Heineken is therefore focusing on new consumer groups; brand and advertising message are highlighted by the stylish appearance and the superior velvet feel of the matt metal container and stand out clearly against other types of beer. A staging effect aimed in particular at successful, young consumers who like that something special.

Europe-wide leader in embossing
The printing process which applies the matt varnish used in combination with embossing for Pelforth does not affect normal production in any way and can be used on aluminium cans of all sizes from batch sizes of around 250,000 cans.  The embossing technology itself requires extremely precise control of the production process to guarantee perfect embossing and design printing even at high output rates.

The beer mix drink Desperados, in varieties Mas and Red, is another Heineken product which finds its way on to the retail shelf in specially embossed cans. Ball Packaging Europe produces the cans with the special finish in Hermsdorf (Saxony-Anhalt). In the embossed beverage can segment, Ball Packaging is the leader in Europe based on sales volume and technology. “We have embossers at the end of two of our lines and are considering installing two more on other lines. And Ball Packaging Europe is among those pushing 360-degree embossing as a way of adding brand differentiation,” says Rob Miles, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Ball Packaging Europe.

Ball Packaging Europe
Ball Packaging Europe is one of the leading beverage can makers in Europe with 2,700 employees at 12 production sites in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland and Serbia. The company is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation USA, which produces high-quality metal and plastic packaging for the beverage, food and household goods industries. In addition Ball Corporation supplies aerospace technology and other technologies and services, predominantly to the US-American government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries worldwide employee more than 15,000 staff and reported turnover of around 7.4 billion US dollars in 2007.

Printable photo material relating to this press release can be found in our photo data bank (www.ball-europe.com) under “Press/Image database”.
You can visit Ball Packaging Europe at the Brau Beviale from 12th to 14th November 2008 in Nuremberg, Hall 4, Stand 109.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions, including our beverage can end project; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

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