Kirin pours on with new font

Bedford brewer Charles Wells has unveiled an innovative new font for Kirin Ichiban as it bids to boost the presence of the Japanese brand in pubs.

The company, which brews and distributes the beer, will spend up to £1.1m rolling out and marketing the new font during 2006. It will be targeted at top-end pubs and bars.

Nigel McNally, sales and marketing director at Charles Wells, said: "I think it is going to be so impactful on the market because it is so different.

"People tend to forget how important point of purchase is. A lot of beer brands have very similar fonts and they are missing a trick; it is a massive opportunity."

The start of 2006 marks the withdrawal of regular Kirin beer from the UK market as the focus moves completely to the more premium Kirin Ichiban brand.

Justin Horsman, Kirin brand manager at Charles Wells, added: "There is real support from the Kirin brewery in Tokyo for this move."

The beer is brewed using the Ichiban Shibori process, only being made from the first press of the brewing ingredients.