Women's Beer?

Happening on one of those extremely forgettable macro ads recently--maybe the Coors Light ad touting the temperature-sensitive labels--Sally turned to me and said, "They're not selling beer, they're selling packaging." Remember this anecdote as I relay news that Carlsberg has a new product aimed at women:

Danish brewer Carlsberg is getting set to unveil a new beer called Copenhagen, which is already turning heads for the minimal, stylish design of its bottles and other packaging. The message is unmistakable: In a category almost complete geared toward men, Copenhagen can also attract women, who make up one-quarter of the beer market.

Has the company come up with a new recipe that might appeal to women's palates? Have they made beer that will compete with wine at the dinner table? Nope. It's about the package:

"We can see that there are a number of consumers, especially women, who are very aware of design when they choose beverage products," Jeanette Elgaard Carlsson, international innovation director at Carlsberg, says on the brewer's website. "There may be situations where they are standing in a bar and want their drinks to match their style. In this case, they may well reject a beer if the design does not appeal to them."

This is not only depressing--but demeaning. Does Carlsberg think that the whole of women's interest in beer comes from accessorizing? Apparently, it does: "Blonde is the new black."