According to the Springwise newsletter, Heineken is about to soft-launch Charli, a new 5% alcohol sparkling beverage for women. The product will be test-marketed in 17 bars in Amsterdam and Deventer before being introduced throughout the Netherlands next summer.
If Charli ever makes it to the U.S., perhaps Heineken could recycle this jingle from a famous 1976 commercial. Video quality is poor, but yes, that's Bobby Short on the piano. He was virtually unknown until then.
Charli has an apple-juice base, but otherwise sounds a lot like low-alcohol, pear-based Babycham, "the original girlie drink" (their words, not mine) that has been sold in the UK for decades. The website is charming; check out the "classic adverts" page, especially the very funny "I'd Love a Babycham."
The Springwise article also mentions two other new brews targeted at women: a "medicinal" beer, Karla, from Germany's Karlsberg; and Karmi, from the Polish division of Denmark's Carlsberg, not to be confused with Karlsberg. Karla and Karmi make sense as name extensions; Charli less so. And faced with a choice of Karla, Karmi, and Charli, a drinking gal could be forgiven for a moment of confusion, even if she were admonished not to be confused. But I don't suppose Heineken wanted to go with Heinie.
It'll be interesting to see if they launch it in the UK with that name - "Charlie" is also British slang for cocaine...
Posted by: Chris Applegate | September 03, 2007 at 04:28 AM