Amstel is the number two beer brand in Europe, but tiny in the UK. A 5% ABV premium version is sold in the off-trade through a distribution deal with Bulmers, and this will continue, but the introduction of the 4.1% lager aims to align the UK offering with the rest of Europe.
Meanwhile, the core Heineken brand is being strengthened to around 5% ABV to compete with UK premium lagers.
Heineken hopes to sell draught Amstel in 1,500 outlets by the end of 2003, and plans to spend £8m on its UEFA Champions' League sponsorship, plus another £2m below the line in bars.
Heineken UK marketing director Leslie Meredith said the brand positioning, devised by Interface, would "be a nod to the liberal connotations of Amsterdam, but we are not explicitly using sex and drugs to sell the brand". She said Amstel would be portrayed as a quality Continental European lager, but better value.
'Chilled in Amsterdam' will be used on glasses, point-of-sale material, staff T-shirts, and on break bumpers around Champions League coverage.
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