New Guinness glasses display exact number of alcohol units

by Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk 09-Feb-09, 10:40

LONDON - Diageo has scored an industry first by rolling out glassware for its Guinness brand which features unit information.

The new glassware is designed to help drinkers understand at a glance exactly how many units of alcohol they are drinking in their pint of Guinness (2.3 UK units). It is hoped that the new unit information will make it easier for people to stay within Government recommended guidelines on alcohol unit consumption. Starting this month Diageo will provide more than half a million glasses to pubs, bars and other retailers across Great Britain.

Guinness is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the original lease on St James' Gate Brewery in Dublin by Arthur Guinness.

Diageo will be marking the anniversary with a programme of marketing activities throughout 2009. The Arthur Guinness signature has also been added to the glass as a tribute to the brand's heritage other changes to the glassware include a new ‘250' logo which is prominently featured on one side of the glass and ‘1759-2009' alongside the traditional harp symbol imprinted on the other.

Diageo is also supporting the on-trade with the first in a new range of core POS that has been created for the 250th anniversary.

Comments

Bill Britt - 09/02/2009

This initiative could have the opposite effect of Diageo's intention. Rather than encourage sensible drinking, some people might competefor how many units they've knocked back.

jezwaspsrule - 09/02/2009

That sounds like a challenge. Bring it on Bill!

Leon McComish - 09/02/2009

I think this only solves half of the problem \(but is at least a step in the right direction). In my experience, not only are people unaware of the number of units in a drink, but also of the number of units their health/the law allows. Much like food labelling, I think a clearer, simpler system is needed, something that can be associated with more common measures in an average person's life. We don't strictly use 'units' in everyday usage so I don't think people quite 'get it'. Food labelling recently got the 'traffic light' system, which is something clearer. However, alcohol units are a representative measure of a total, so maybe something like "2.3 Units \(X% of male daily allowance)".

Scott T - 11/02/2009

@Leon - oh dear ; step in right direction etc . Here's a wild suggestion for you. Guy in the pub, couple of pints of the black stuff, sport on TV, having a few laughs, says to another bloke, "Have U seen the new logo on these glasses mate ?" Seems like a much more likely scenario to me than suggesting that anyone is scribbling down running totals of daily % intakes of everything under the sun that we used to be able to enjoy IN MODERATION. God help us from the nanny state !