Supplied by Crown Cork & Seal (Philadelphia, PA) from its Sugarland, TX, plant, the one-piece aluminum can bodies are drawn and ironed and litho printed conventionally. They are then sent through a patented shaping system that uses molds and pressurized air inside the molds to shape the can body. Not only does the can shape resemble the classic Michelob teardrop bottle, the front and back panels have a Michelob bottle embossed into them.
The can takes the same 204 ring-pull end used on most 12- and 16-oz aluminum cans. Nieder acknowledges that the can shaping and embossing makes the container more expensive than a standard can, but he doesn’t quantify the difference.
The new can is now rolling out nationwide in 12-packs and as singles. “The can’s unique design will help satisfy the growing demand from our customers for 16-oz cans and capitalize on the brand’s signature teardrop shape,” says A-B’s Prevost Foushee, a marketing executive responsible for the Michelob brand.
