Add a twist to jump on beverage brand wagon

Old ideas never die, they just lose their balls!

This is yet another letter of criticism regarding design (see Haydn Cooper’s letter, DW 16 March) but this time for good reason. This is regarding Design Week’s news story on Foster’s Twist (DW 27 April).

It may be a major refresh for the Foster’s brand but it’s a rehash of an old idea. How many times in the past 20 years have we seen or heard:

• The same marketing rationale – people are drinking less alcohol.

• The addition of a citrus twist to the product to capture a younger market, as well as women.

• An attempt to revitalise the brand by creating a new sub-brand, ‘twist’.

• Putting a twist in the graphics or packaging.

Brand new idea? I don’t think so. Have a look at Gordon’s Twist of 15 years ago. And then there was Ribena Twist, reported in Design Week only a couple of years ago.

You might argue that they are in different product sectors, but they are still a rehash of an old idea.

Ziggy Zdziebko, by e-mail