Heineken

Every bit as iconic as the brand

Heineken

Star Bottle and Star Glass

Heineken wanted to create a bottle and glass which would be the icons forming the basis of Heineken’s design DNA. The company’s growth had resulted in hundreds of different types of bottles on the market, which gave an inconsistent brand image. Heineken decided to put a stop to this by designing a global standard bottle: a uniform design projecting the same image all over the world.

Core values

In close collaboration with all parties involved, we converted the core values of Heineken beer into the modern concept and design of the Star Bottle.

Intensive cooperation

Heineken, npk design and Design Bridge and Partners (which was responsible for the 2D images) cooperated intensively right from the first briefing. Working out our ideas together meant that the design processes for 2D and 3D could run parallel to one another. All proposals were carefully coordinated between npk design and Design Bridge and Partners, which meant that all the elements made up one effective whole in the end product. Combining Heineken’s expertise with that of two leading agencies resulted in a striking interplay between the bottle and the label, and the entire design fits in perfectly with the Heineken brand as a whole.

“The quality of the new Star Bottle reflects Heineken’s world class and fits in perfectly with the brand. The focus is on ‘refreshing’, ‘modern’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘innovative’ as core values”.

Hans Böhm
Marketing Director Heineken Nederland

The standard Heineken glass for the catering sector worldwide

The Star Bottle’s most striking features are the embossing and the prominent ovals on the neck and back of the bottle. The Star Bottle concept was converted into the Ellipse at a later stage; this has been the standard Heineken glass used in the catering sector since 2010. The oval shape on the glass serves a practical purpose. Holding this oval horizontally when drawing beer ensures exactly the right angle for a perfect head, while the slimline base gives you a good grip and makes the glass lighter and easy to stack.
From the very first sketch right up to production, our design was an unambiguous success due to close cooperation with glass manufacturers. And their input, expertise and experience resulted in a big saving on glass too.

“We’re continually working on improving the draught beer experience and the Ellipse is the next step in this. This glass combines attractiveness, innovation and quality.”
Wouter Fijnaut
Catering Director, Heineken Nederland

“Glass is a wonderful medium to work in. The manufacturing processes are centuries old and totally different from other mass production techniques. Glass really is a law unto itself.”

Janwillem Bouwknegt
managing partner npk design

Construction a model

All the prototypes of the Star Bottle and the Ellipse were tested all over the world, and consumers provided feedback on the basis of special models. We developed our own method of constructing a model to make these mock-ups, which is fast and economical – and extremely realistic in particular.

“One of the security officials at the airport wanted to confiscate one of our model bottles and throw it away. He refused to believe it was only a model without any liquid in it.”

Janwillem Bouwknegt
managing partner npk design