New fonts for Brains

Welsh brewer Brains is to introduce new font designs across its portfolio, as it continues its drive for growth.

The new more contemporary chrome fonts are column-shaped and include the Welsh dragon logo.

The fonts can be illuminated and have the ability to create condensation to reinforce the "cold beer" message. They can be used as individual stand-alone units or banked together with unique connecting pieces, said the Drinks Dispense group, which designed them.

"This allows for a varied configuration of brands that can easily be changed without the need to disconnect the font already in situ," said Brains' sales and marketing director Richard Davies. "We are delighted with the new fonts, which will enable staff to serve customers a perfect pint quickly and easily."

The news coincides with the relaunch of the brewer's Bread of Heaven beer, which returns this year under the banner "official ale of the 2005 and 2008 Grand Slams".

The beer, a red-coloured hoppy ale, is back for its fifth successive year in time for the Six Nations tournament.

Last month the brewer signed an agreement with Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) that saw S&N take on responsibility for sales, distribution and technical support of Brains' ale portfolio in the freetrade.

S&N will make Brains' branded beers more widely available to its freetrade customers in Wales and help grow distribution outside its traditional Welsh heartland.

The arrangements will also see S&N brands more widely available in SA Brain's own retail estate of around 260 outlets from early 2010.

The two companies also agreed to operate the regional wholesaler William Hall & Son, which is currently wholly owned by SA Brain, on a joint-venture basis.