Former President Mwai Kibaki’s favourite beer White Cap – as cited by his allies, clocked 70 years on Monday.
The former head of state has for years been associated with the drink despite having walked out of the beer table after his car accident in 2002.
His closest buddies have given accounts of how the reserved economist savoured moments when they could sit and wind away weekends and breaks from tedious campaigns.
To mark the milestone, Kenya Breweries changed the beer’s design to a new one which has attributes of the beer’s 70-year heritage.
The new bottle has no label on its neck - which is now shorter, with a larger container base.
Beer manufacturer KBL says it is the first time in 70 years that White Cap’s bottle design has changed, ‘but not the content’.
KBL marketing chief AnnJoy Muhoro said the changes follow feelings that it is one of the most storied brands in the Kenya Breweries portfolio.
“Premium brands all across the globe are evolving, as far as positioning is concerned,” she said.
“Packaging is and continues to be a major trailblazer in terms of brand perception and value creation to consumers. This is what we sought to achieve.”
White Cap Lager will now be traded in a sleek glass bottle and will continue to trade at Sh170 for a 500ml bottle.
“Consumers we spoke with said time was right for break new ground for the premium beer in Kenya,” Muhoro added.
She said KBL intends to use the repackaging to inject freshness and provide some excitement for longtime consumers as well as new generation of beer drinkers.
“Customers have an exciting new visual identity for the canned White Cap lager to look forward to,” Muhoro said.
