Jul 26 2008
Heineken and Krups Create Category for Beer
I love the new joint partnership between Heineken and Krups. They created a mini-keggerator that they are calling the Beertender. The Beertender accepts ONLY Heineken 5L mini-kegs. The kegs are kept cold and the beer is dispensed via tap; just like beer should be.
Beertender
There are several things to like about this joint venture:
- They’ve created a new category: The Home Bartender
- The partnership is exclusive. So if you like the idea of being a Home Bartender, you’ll be buying Heineken and Krups.
- The size of the unit makes it portable and versatile. It’s much easier to use and less messy than a traditional keg.
- All of the replacement and maintenance parts, like the tubes, are ONLY available by Krups.
This is the primary TV spot running to promote the idea.
It was developed by Wieden + Kennedy. No surprise that the work is spot on.
The thing I’m struggling with is if this is a smart long term move for Krups. If they keep the partnership exclusive they’ll be narrowing their audience tremendously. I personally don’t care for Heineken, which takes me out of the market. But, if the Beertender supported other beers and ciders, like Sam Adams, they’d have me sold. Hell I’d buy a few so I could have 3 beers on tap.
The Beertender sells for $279.99 or $299.99, depending on the model you opt for.
