Netherlands-based Bavaria brewery selects Ball Packaging Europe's 50-cl aluminum can with Embossed Touch design for its 8.6 Black beer for the African market; black lacquered can features 8.6 logo in high-gloss gold

Elyse Blye

HAWTHORN, Australia , October 17, 2013 (Ball Corp.) – 50 cl cans in special Embossed Touch design made by Ball Packaging Europe

The Bavaria brewery from the Netherlands is to launch 8.6 Black, an dark version of its classic Bavaria 8.6 beer on the African market. The 50 cl cans designed with the innovative Embossed Touch process are made by Ball Packaging Europe.

8.6 Black is the latest addition to the 8.6 range from tradition-steeped Dutch brewers Bavaria. The newcomer, a dark beer, comes in alongside Bavaria’s existing Original, Red and Gold beers. The new beer is brewed on the basis of the classic 8.6 Original. Likewise featuring an alcohol content of 7.9 percent, 8.6 Black hits the shelves first in Africa and Asia, where the stout beers segment is currently seeing enormous growth.

Catering to African consumer tastes in packaging, Ball Packaging Europe has created a very special can. While the 8.6 logo stands out in high-gloss gold, the remainder of the 50 cl aluminum can is embossed with the innovative Embossed Touch process for an exclusive haptic experience. “The far more pronounced embossing achieved with Embossed Touch projects the sense of masculinity characterizing our target group,” explains Benjamin Kaempf, Global Marketing Manager at Bavaria. “The design also enhances product differentiation and point-of-sale visibility.”

A black lacquered can end further underscores the beer’s premium quality. 8.6 Black targets well-off male beer drinkers aged 18 to 49 who are looking for stout beers with character.

8.6 Black will be launched to start with in Tanzania, Kenya, Mali and Burkina Faso. Thailand, Asia, Canada and the USA will follow. The market launch is to be accompanied by a mass promotion campaign and attractive design elements for brand enhancement at the point of sale. The campaign includes scratch cards with a chance to win a brand-new Mercedes Benz. Further prizes include packs of 8.6 Original and 8.6 Black.

Since its foundation in 1680, Bavaria has always used all-natural ingredients. The family-owned Dutch brewery in Lieshout solely uses top-quality water, hand-selected hops and malt from its own malt house.


Ball Packaging Europe
Ball Packaging Europe is one of the leading producers of beverage cans in Europe, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Ball Packaging Europe employs 2,800 people and has 12 production locations in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, and the United Kingdom. The company is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation.


About Ball Corporation
Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 15,000 people worldwide and reported 2012 sales of more than $8.7 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

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