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Vented can ends give Coors a smoother pour

Crown Beverage Packaging North America is rolling out Vented End beverage cans for two of Canada’s top selling beer brands – Coors Light and Molson Canadian. The product, developed in partnership with Molson Coors Canada, features a vented end to allow for a smoother pour, enhanced experience and a unique opening feature.

The Vented End features a dual aperture opening, meaning it has two holes rather than the one hole found on traditional can ends. The end’s unique design includes a distinctive red tab and a button-shape depression mark to the right of the main opening. To use, consumers simply open the can as usual, turn the red tab so that it is aligned over the button, and then press down to activate the second opening. No extra tools are required to open the end. The vented end not only enhances the appeal of the package but also helps build brand identity by more closely connecting consumers with their beverage.

“Consumers have had an extremely positive reaction to the Vented End and have noted that the additional opening, with its corresponding smoother pour, is both easy and fun,” said Neill Mitchell, VP marketing and strategic development at Crown Beverage Packaging North America. “At Crown, we know that brands increasingly see the value of leveraging packaging to distinguish products, attract consumers and drive sales, and we’ve designed this new technology to satisfy those needs.”

The Vented End can be used alongside other technologies, such as promotional tabs, as well as can shaping, finishing, and printing to attract attention at the point of purchase.

There are currently no other vented cans available within the beer category in Canada and the intent was to provide beer drinkers with an enhanced experience while keeping it fun and functional. "This latest innovation was developed exclusively with Crown through extensive work and rigorous testing," said Mike MacDonald, senior packaging scientist for Molson Coors. "The new cans are the result of several years and evolutions of our concepts and prototypes."

The new cans first became available in mid-June, while national distribution began Canada Day weekend, a public holiday celebrated on July 1. Both Molson Canadian and Coors Light will be sold in 473ml cans with an initial distribution of 50 million cans. 355ml cans featuring the Vented End inside 15-packs will be available in various Canadian provinces, including Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia in August.