New designer glassware ‘ends up in handbags and back pockets’ as cider fans try to take the Kopparberg experience home.

Kopparberg, the independent Swedish cider brand is trialling the first ever security tag for a glass in response to record numbers of thefts of the new designer glassware. The security tag, on trial at Jaguar Shoes in London’s Shoreditch, is designed to explode with ink when the glass is taken more than 100 feet from the bar.

According to the latest research, 90 per cent of people have stolen or wanted to steal a glass from a bar and the new, streamlined designer glass is thought to be a collectors’ item for cider fans, making it a favourite to slip into a handbag or back pocket.

In an attempt to further satiate demand for the glass, Kopparberg will also be giving one away each day of the week next week to the fan who suggests the most creative use for it on Twitter and Facebook. Ideas already include using the glass for a ‘science beaker’, a ‘fishbowl’ and an ‘ice cream sundae’.

Exploding ink:

• The innovative security tags developed by Kopparberg incorporate a bespoke ink-exploding device, set off when the tag strays too far from a sensor on the bar door.
• The ink is cheekily designed to match with Kopparberg’s new Cloudberry and Elderflower & Lime varieties, so the culprit may be red-faced (depending on what flavour they are drinking), but will at least match the drink they are holding.
• Conversation surrounding the glasses on Twitter and Facebook first alerted Kopparberg to the ‘stealability’ of its new glasses, with some fans even posting pictures of the Kopparberg glass being used as a stylish vase, a desk tidy and a candle holder in their homes.

Quotations

Rob Calder, Head of Marketing at Kopparberg commented:

“There has been a lot of excitement around our new Kopparberg glasses, and when we heard people were slipping them into their bags at a rate of knots we took it as a compliment – but we also thought we should try and do something creative about it. The security tags are obviously a bit of fun, but hopefully they’ll also help bars keep hold of their Kopparberg glassware reserves so that customers can enjoy the Swedish cider experience properly.”

Rob Calder, continued:

“Obviously its nice to see customers cherishing the new Kopparberg glass so much, but unfortunately we’re struggling to meet demand from bars that need to replace their glassware because of so many getting nicked. We’re even planning a ‘Kopparberg glass amnesty’, where thieves return the glass they pinched and we give them a free bottle of our Cloudberry cider.”

Rob Mawdsley, General Manager of Jaguar Shoes commented:

“The new glassware has been a massive hit, and I definitely agree that it’s stealable! The tag is a unique little reminder to people that if they swipe a glass then someone, somewhere needs to replace it. The Kopparberg brand has always been synonymous with summer style, so it’s maybe no surprise the glass ends up in handbags and back pockets, but it’s also why we want to deliver an authentic Kopparberg experience to our paying customers. Although I wouldn’t mind nabbing one for myself… ”

Jaguar Shoes will be the first bar to clamp the new tags onto their Kopparberg glassware, expecting a ‘massive demand’ for the cider as Britain hits a mini heat wave this week.