Tiger Beer MY brings the 'Ong' to consumers via limited edition CNY cans

Tiger Beer wants to help consumers start off 2021 right with a bold change, pushing out its limited edition Tiger Beer and Tiger Crystal cans ahead of Chinese New Year. Featured in the auspicious colours of red and gold, the cans are available in two sets of Tiger Beer and Tiger Crystal packaging. When combined, the characters on the cans spell the greeting "旺事如意" (Wang Shi Ru Yi) which symbolises prosperity. 

Pearly Lim, marketing manager - local mainstream at Heineken Malaysia, told A+M that the design process for the campaigns took approximately two months and it worked with Singapore-based brand design consultancy Elmwood.

"This is the first time we’ve ever done limited edition cans designs for Chinese New Year in Malaysia, so we wanted them to have meaning and purpose as well as standing out and looking attractive. The year 2020 was a tough year for everyone, and we wanted our consumers to join us in looking ahead to the coming year with more optimism and hope for more luck," she said. Lim explained that the Chinese believe that if they bring items symbolising "ong" (prosperity) into their homes, especially at this time of year, it will help attract the ong energy to them for the year ahead.  

This is reflected not only in the cans' designs but also in the exclusive AR visuals that consumers can see when they scan the cans with their phones. The cans also unlock spins on its Ong Wheel, which can be accessed on Tiger Beer's website, allowing participants to win free merchandise. Lim declined to comment on the ROI Heineken expects from the festive cans as it is currently in a silent period.

Heineken will run a 360 "Bring the Ong" campaign on digital, social media, print, on-ground activations at selected supermarkets and hypermarkets, as well as engage in influencer marketing and PR to spread the word. Additionally, it also tied up exclusively with Malaysian streetwear brand Pestle & Mortar for a t-shirt which can be redeemed at 7-Eleven and MyNews outlets upon spending above RM20 on Heineken Malaysia products.

Additionally, Tiger Beer has introduced a series of promotions and giveaways, with up to RM1 million cash prizes and merchandises to be won. They include the exclusive Tiger Rummy set, Tiger Ong Lai bowl set, and Guinness gold playing cards.

Last December, the brand unveiled a new packaging and key visuals to portray “bold new look”. Compared to the old packaging, the new one sees the removal of the background that comes with the brand's iconic tiger. The tiger is also of a bigger size, making it more visible. Tiger Beer's spokesperson said previously that the brand refresh was done to unify its packaging across all its markets. The new packaging is now used in Vietnam and will be subsequently be rolled out worldwide in the coming year.

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