Dagger Falls goes pink with cans for cancer awareness

Idaho-based Sockeye Brewing has partnered with Crown Beverage Packaging North America to launch its flagship Dagger Falls IPA brand in limited-edition pink cans. The concept is to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every October.

Discussions of the project began in May of this year, with Crown laying the groundwork over the summer to begin filling cans in September. Crown worked closely with Sockeye throughout the process, providing counsel on the overall can design, colour schemes and the proper ink weights necessary to achieve the vivid pink shade. The Dagger Falls IPA was canned with a special-edition design and then shipped to participating retailers by Stein Distributing Co. Inc.

Available in local stores beginning in early October, the 12 oz. cans feature laser-etched tabs that depict the brewers’ logo – the Sockeye salmon – and display the ‘Cans for Care’ seal to inform consumers at the point of purchase that a percentage of proceeds from the sale will be donated to a charitable cause. Recipients of the donations include two Idaho organisations: the Mountain State Tumor Institute of St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Alfonso’s Cancer Care.

“Breast cancer is such an important issue that we really wanted to be involved with raising awareness, but to do so in a manner that’s unique to Sockeye. The pink cans allow us to do just that,” explains Dawn Bolen, marketing assistant, Sockeye Brewing. “Crown has been an incredibly helpful and supportive partner throughout the process; we couldn’t have done this without them. There’s already been such positive early feedback on the initiative from retailers and consumers that we are exploring how to repeat the collaboration next year.”

Crown and Sockeye established a strong partnership before collaborating on this initiative. When Sockeye was first transitioning to metal packaging, Crown offered the flexibility to bring three of the brewery’s labels to market in cans simultaneously.

“When trying to boost production of Dagger Falls to keep up with growing consumer demand, cans were a logical choice,” explains Bolen. “Not only do they retain the beer’s freshness and improve the shelf life, but they are also light weight and easily recyclable. Their robustness also makes them ideally suited for enjoying during outdoor recreational activities, like boating and rafting, both of which are huge industries in Idaho. Crown was the ideal partner for Sockeye, providing quality packaging and the level of service and expertise that we needed.”

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