The head of Japanese beer giant Kirin Brewery Co. has fired a warning shot over the bows of the company's biggest rival in the increasingly fierce battle for the growing market for alcohol-free beer.
Kirin president Koichi Matsuzawa has complained publicly that the design for the label of a new alcohol-free beer produced by Asahi Breweries is too similar to the company's mainstay Super Dry product.
"Its outward appearance resembles Super Dry so much that it could lead people to buy it by mistake," Matsuzawa said at a press conference on January 11.
Asahi announced the previous day that it would release the new beer - called Dry Zero (picture) - in February.
The cans for the new beer will be silver with back writing, while the bottled version will have a similar, square label and another around the neck. The Japanese word for "non-alcohol" appears on the labels, but Kirin believes the Asahi logo across the centre of the design will make people associate the new drink with Super Dry. (themalaysianinsider.com)
The head of Japanese beer giant Kirin Brewery Co. has fired a warning shot over the bows of the company's biggest rival in the increasingly fierce battle for the growing market for alcohol-free beer.
Kirin president Koichi Matsuzawa has complained publicly that the design for the label of a new alcohol-free beer produced by Asahi Breweries is too similar to the company's mainstay Super Dry product.
"Its outward appearance resembles Super Dry so much that it could lead people to buy it by mistake," Matsuzawa said at a press conference on January 11.
Asahi announced the previous day that it would release the new beer - called Dry Zero (picture) - in February.
The cans for the new beer will be silver with back writing, while the bottled version will have a similar, square label and another around the neck. The Japanese word for "non-alcohol" appears on the labels, but Kirin believes the Asahi logo across the centre of the design will make people associate the new drink with Super Dry. (themalaysianinsider.com)