Ms. Kristi Knowles reports

MOLSON CANADIAN & COORS LIGHT VENTED CANS MAKING A SMOOTH DEBUT IN CANADA

Molson Coors Canada Inc. is unveiling a new innovative twist to its packaging lineup. The vented cans will be rolling out nationally this month on tall-boy cans of two of the top-selling brands in the country, Coors Light and Molson Canadian. This innovation is the first twist-tab vented can in Canada. It features an added vent to allow for a smoother pour, enhanced experience and a unique opening feature.

The vented can has a specially designed top with a distinctive red tab and a button shape to the right of the can opening. Activation of the vent can be achieved in three easy steps and doesn't require the aid of special tools:

• Open;
• Turn -- align the red tab over the button;
• Vent -- press down to activate extra opening.

"Our research confirms that consumers really love this idea because it enhances their experience with the beer. We were careful to design the technology to be easy and fun to use, with the benefit of an additional opening for a smoother pour," said Kristi Knowles, vice-president of marketing and innovations at Molson Coors. "This is something consumers are already familiar with; think of the apple juice can. Now we're bringing a new version of this technology to our drinkers."

There are currently no other vented cans available within the beer category in Canada. The intent was to provide beer drinkers with an enhanced experience while keeping functionality and fun top of mind.

"Our latest innovation was developed exclusively with our supplier at Crown Holdings Inc. through extensive work and rigorous testing," said Mike MacDonald, senior packaging scientist for Molson Coors. "The vented cans are the result of several years and evolutions of our concepts and prototypes."

The introduction of this new vented technology comes after a string of other successful packaging innovations, including Coors Light's two-stage cold-certified bottles in 2008 and last summer's launch of aluminum wide-mouth bottles with Molson Coors's new flexible packaging line. The company's U.S. operations also experimented with similar innovations like the Coors Light vented wide-mouth cans in 2008, which yielded very positive results.

This summer, the vented can will be on 50 million cans. The Molson Canadian and Coors Light vented cans will be sold in 473-millilitre cans and will be available starting mid-June with new decorated packaging. Full distribution nationally is expected for the Canada Day long weekend. The company will also have 355-millilitre vented cans inside 15-packs in Ontario and the Atlantic in August. Expect further expansion of this innovation into 2014.