Why Your Favorite Beverage Cans Look Different Lately

Have you been perusing the alcohol aisle at your local grocery store or looking for your favorite beer at the corner liquor shop, only to find some things don’t look the same? If so, you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not imagining things.

Some of your favorite beverage cans are looking a little different lately.

But, why? What happened to the old saying, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”?

While certain looks and branding ideas in the industry might not be “broken,” there are some things that needed updating. Some brewers want to reach new audiences. Others wanted to follow the latest trends. Some even had to make a change for legal purposes.

With that in mind, let’s dive into why some of your favorite cans might have you confused lately. 

Nothing is Set in Stone

There’s no denying that craft beef has taken on a life of its own in recent years. While sales may never top some of the commercial giants in the industry, some beer enthusiasts strictly drink craft brews and specifically seek them out at the store or the bar.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to find that big brands want a piece of that success.

Unfortunately, one company took things too far. Recently, the MillerCoors corporation debuted a rebrand of their popular Keystone beer. Unfortunately, they found themselves in hot water with a smaller craft beer operation – Stone Brewing. Stone claimed that MillerCoors’ rebranding of Keystone was confusing to consumers.

As of March 2022, Stone Brewing won the $56M trademark verdict against the beer giant. If you were getting used to Keystone’s new look, you should probably take a second glance when you’re in the budget beer section again, because it’s undoubtedly going to change again (if it hasn’t already by the time you’re reading this!).

While it’s never a bad thing for major brewing companies to step up their game and pay more attention to detail, it’s never good form for a rebrand to take more than a little “inspiration” from competitors. Because of this case, you can probably expect even more creative designs to start popping up since no one else will want to be accused of copyright infringement!

Times are Changing

While infringing on trademarks isn’t going to fly in the beer industry, it’s impossible to deny that styles and personal preferences aren’t changing. Some things will always remain classic. People recognize the traditional “Budweiser” logo and font as much today as they did in 1910. However, with new varieties of beer and a new audience of enthusiasts, craft breweries and major corporations alike need to keep up with design trends.

Rebranding isn’t easy, but it’s sometimes necessary. A company might consider rebranding if:

• It’s trying to grow its market
• It’s going international
• Its image is outdated
• It’s under new management
• It’s are trying to recover from a bad reputation

A brand needs to reflect the company it’s representing – big or small. Good branding will not only help a business sell more beer, but it will draw more people in and turn them into loyal customers. Some of the latest trends in beer branding and packaging include bifurcation, vibrant colors, tombstone typography, and vintage logos and mascots.

A good place to start a complete rebrand is with a company logo. A logo redesign can change the identity of that business and the way people view it. It establishes more trust and helps to maintain visibility, especially if the brand has been around for a long time and wants to remain relevant.

A Detour in Demand

Some cans might not be changing their looks, but they might become harder to find in the sea of so many new designs and products. People’s tastes are changing and consumers want more from the beer and spirits industries. The rise in hard seltzer products over the last few years has shown us that companies are changing and adapting to meet demands. According to Grandview Research, the global hard seltzer market is expected to reach 57.34B by 2030.

Non-alcoholic beverages are also seeing a spike in business. Over the last year, there have been over 1.9 million Google searches for things like “alcohol-free beer” and “mocktails.” As a result, most major beer brands have either started selling alcohol-free products or have put greater promotion into their existing non-alcoholic options.

So, it only makes sense that small companies and big brands alike are jumping on this trend, along with offering new beer flavors and creations that haven’t been seen in the past.

Changes in the way consumers shop are also fostering changes in beverage design. More people are leading sustainable lifestyles and want to eliminate waste as much as possible. Because of that, some breweries are switching from bottles to aluminum cans, since they’re easier to recycle and provide more room for artistic design and creativity.

As trends and demands continue to change, it’s likely you won’t have time to “get used to” a lot of consistency from your favorite beverage cans. However, these changes can be exciting, as they show that beer brands big and small are listening to consumers, and (hopefully) making positive changes.

Special thanks to Jori Hamilton for this Great Beer Now guest post!