Heineken aims to drive on and off trade sales of its Cold Filtered lager with the launch of a new lightweight bottle. Heineken Cold Filtered will now be available in a lightweight 275ml bottle, in addition to the current draught and canned versions. The company said the bottle opened up new sales opportunities for retailers "to cater for drinking occasions, such as parties and barbecues, where consumers prefer the bottled format". It was previously available in a heavier brown glass format. The new look bottle will have green glass ­ which a spokeswoman said was to move it in line with the Heineken's overall branding. The green label has a "condensation effect" designed to communicate the "refreshing" offering of the brand. The spokeswoman added that the lighter weight bottle would be more appealing to female drinkers. The new bottle is currently being introduced across all on trade and take home sectors ­ whereas previously the brown bottle was exclusively available from Bookers. The company said the brand's take home sales were up 20% over the last 12 months, compared with a 2% rise in total take home standard lager sales [ACNielsen]. Heineken is putting £14m of marketing support behind its brand this year, including sponsorship of the Heineken Cup rugby tournament. {{DRINKS }}

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