Pélican up-ends the expected with H!GHEND consumer messaging

Published June 15, 2023

A characterful new craft beer from Heineken Entreprise – France is up-ending the standard beer-drinking routine: using Ardagh Metal Packaging’s H!GHEND to communicate directly with consumers and engage them in a fun “flip” ritual to ensure the tasty beer is enjoyed at its best.

Pélican, a new 7.5% ABV lager from the European brewing giant, is an unfiltered beer, meaning more yeast is left in the final product for maximum flavour, and small deposits can gather at the base of the can. To reveal the beer’s full character, it needs to be “woken” by turning the 500ml standard can over and back. The message ‘Retournez–Savourez’ (‘flip and enjoy’) is printed in a jovial font on the can shell, a direct reminder to the beer lover which is made possible by AMP’s innovative H!GHEND technology.

The Pélican invitation, in crisp, bright white on black, is unmissable at the moment of consumption thanks to its position at the can end – the area the consumer sees right before opening. Communicating with consumers on the shell surface is just one of the new ways in which AMP’s H!GHEND customisation series adds extra value to the pack. The incredibly versatile print technology allows high-quality decoration in CMYK colours to perfectly match branding, increase visual impact with HD graphics, and create special editions with exquisite differentiation.

Integrating the Pélican can body inventively with the H!GHEND end, the design reinforces the up-ending ritual with horizontally symmetrical graphics. A savvy-looking pelican reminds the user to ‘Retournez’ as he flies one way – the right way up – and ‘Savourez’ as he flies back – upside-down. Set against an old-gold background that reflects the bière blonde inside, the lively cartoon makes the “flip” an integral part of the brand.

Margaux Planquart, Senior Craft Brands Manager, Heineken Entreprise, said: “We love to use cans because of their recyclability and lower carbon impact, and because they offer a big surface area for creative designs. With Pélican as a new brand, we wanted to really differentiate the pack, so we chose H!GHEND to remind customers to engage in that moment of pleasure and ritual – the “flip” – that makes drinking unfiltered Pélican a special experience. Our Péli-can is the result of a super collaboration with AMP: we appreciated their expertise and creativity throughout the process.”

Gerlof Toenhake, Director Regional Sales at Ardagh Metal Packaging – Europe, said: “We’re very excited that our customers are seeing the creative potential of H!GHEND. The ingenuity of the Pélican pack is that it uses H!GHEND to bring the pack and product together, and create an interactive moment for the consumer not just as a gimmick, but for practical reasons relating to the flavour of the product. Our customer services teams are ready to help all customers realise their creative ideas through H!GHEND and our other customisation options.”

The ingenious Péli-can will be available in off trade in France from September.