Sunday 24 July 2011

Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Worse...


This is Chick Beer.


No, this is not a joke.

I repeat, this is not a joke.

And apart from a couple of comments, I am going to let this chirp for itself. To understand what I'm talking about you need to visit the website in all its glory.

'Hi, my name is Shazz. Let me tell you the cool story of how Chick Beer happened.' - Shazz? I nearly spat my tea all over the screen...

The bottle is designed to reflect the beautiful shape of a woman in a little black dress - Really? what an oddly angular woman 'Shazz' must be.

The six-pack looks like you are carrying your beer in a hip stylish, purse - A cardboard handbag? Hmm, it's that hobo chic I've been missing all my life!


p.s. this has been launched in the States, not over here - yet!!

16 comments:

Kristy said...

I've joined you in spitting my coffee over the screen!

I wonder if Shazz is a pseudonym for a 70's brewer called Kevin because I'm struggling to see that this has been developed by women or with any real understanding of women!

Melissa Cole said...

It is 'special' isn't it (goes away and weeps!)

GamingAles said...

"Witness the Chickness"?? lol. Where's Shazz's "Bloke Beer" equivalent anyway? She must be working on it. Will the bottle be shaped like a middle-aged, balding fat man? How many stereotypes will they manage to get on the bottle?

Sid Boggle said...

Look on the bright side, Melissa - at least it isn't in clear glass... B-)

Melissa Cole said...

@gamingales best one I've heard so far is GAL (Gender Apartheid Lager) from @dragonandflagon

@sid that's only a bright side if you've been living in a cave for 40 years!

blowback said...

So sad when a Brit doesn't understand irony. At least I hope it is irony, nobody but nobody could be so witless as to seriously market this product.
At first, I did think it might be someone resurrecting Decanter's Sweetie*** gag but it's the wrong time of the year for that.

*** - At least, I think it was called Sweetie, it was a melon-flavoured liqueur aimed at the gay market. It was featured in a May edition of Decanter back in the 80s/90s.

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating said...

Genuinely thought you had mocked this up as a joke until I gotto the very bottom. Awful. Just awful.

Eddie86 said...

I feel sick...

And if you want the blokey version, have a look at www.http://iron-press.co.uk

How many stereotypes can you fit in one advert...

Sid Boggle said...

Just had a look at the Girly website. Hmmm, no real info but a marketing cover story? Is it possible that this is a brand being spun off from one of the major BMC brewers?

Kristy, didn't it strike you how similar the pitch is to Animee?

Kristy said...

@sid the only similarity is that it sites the low number of women drinking beer on the website - that's where the similarity ends for me.

What I don't get is any sense that this is developed on an understanding of what women want from a beer, it seems like a knee jerk, sexist reaction to the problem to me.

Pot, kettle, black you might say but I believe Animée is a world away from this developed with women, over time and with a real understanding of how women feel about the beer category.

Melissa Cole said...

@Ed - bloody hell! I'll do a post about that soon too.

@blowback - mate, I get irony, in fact I use it quite a lot, this is not irony, it's stupidity!

@Sid - there are none so blind as those who will not see (John Heywood, 1546)

Matt Hendry said...

The website and label is Bright Pink and the bottle and label are just wrong .

There are many women who love a big fruity.citrusy double IPA or a Stout with big coffee and chocolate notes so this notion of low carb ,low hop low flavor beer is silly.

Currenly Im helping the Shady Lady beer Comapny launch a Rose Infused lager in Australia very soon and working directly with the female owner who reminds me every day what women want and don't want in beer!

And while Shady Lady isnt for everyone or every occoasion but it may appeal to the current "non-beer drinker who are drinking RTDs and Ciders .A few of my male beer Geek friends who have tried the beer like it also.

Jenn said...

Why can't companies just market beer to everyone? I hate the stereotypes - I am a huge hophead but used to get told "you know that's bitter, don't you?" when I ordered one. Hasn't happened in awhile, so maybe at least the pubs are catching on to the fact that women like real beer just as much as men (sometimes more, I have lots of guy friends who drink light beer!)

Mike said...

Packaging makes it look like a butt plug.

Mark N said...

Not sure where they think the market lies. Obviously going to alienate women and guys sure as hell aren't going to buy it.

And Mike, it worries me deeply that you see that :)

Jonathan said...

With all this beer marketed for women going on, I'm going to the same with wine, port, vodka, cider, cognac... I'm going to be rich!!!