STAR was introduced into the Nigerian market on 2 June 1949 as the first indigenous beer brand; the beer market having been dominated exclusively by imported brands.
Shortly after its entry into the market, STAR quickly brushed aside the problems usually associated with a new brand in a market already used to imported beer and started a path of tremendous growth. For instance in 1962, about 2, 191,376 cartons of STAR were sold and by 1975 the figure has risen to 11,266,000 cartons. As at 2003, the sales figures were in the region of over 40 million cartons in that year alone.
STAR is largely responsible for the growth of the Nigerian indigenous beer industry. The popularity of STAR gave other prospective investors courage to contemplate establishment of new breweries. The eventual attainment of leadership by STAR in 1960 was a unique success story that soon triggered off a spate of introduction of new brands.
That the brewery industry of which the NB Plc remains the undisputed leader, now makes a significant contribution to the national economy, is a fitting tribute to the pioneering effort of NB Plc and the five-star performance of STAR over the years.
Indeed, within the NB Plc stable alone, STAR’s success story has influenced the introduction of other equally successful brands – Gulder, Gulder Max, Maltina, Heineken, Legend Stout and Amstel Malta.
STAR pioneered the brewing industry in Nigeria and grew to become the nation’s favourite and No.1 beer brand – a national icon. It has contributed more to developing the beer market in Nigeria than any other brands. After about 58 years it remains a major force in the market and displays strong potentials to increase its sales volume even further. Its quality has remained consistently excellent and this is recognized both within and outside Nigeria.
The STAR success story is the result of a contribution of factors: consistently high quality, good marketing support and a good understanding of the market and consumers.
Perhaps the best known of these factors to the consumer is the advertising support which has consistently projected the superior quality of STAR over the years. From the very first campaign slogan of Ah! Star – Beer at its best” introduced in 1949 through the “Brightness” campaign of the 1970s/80s, from the “Turn to Star – The ideal Brew campaign launched in 1989, to the “Live the Brighter Life In Style – Star Ahead on Taste” campaign of the 1990’s and the recent campaigns of “Never A Dull Moment with Star” and “Share the Brighter Life – it is clear that the advertising campaign development history of STAR has been consistent in creating the mage of “BRIGHTNESS “FUN” AND “BEST’ for the brand. The rave-making campaign that heralded the STAR Bottle change in 2000 is still fresh in the mind of consumers.
On the whole, the areas of advertising and marketing campaigns are areas in which STAR has created value in the life of so many people – consumers, the Advertising Agency, Support Service Providers, the Media, Models, Promotional item Producers - the list is endless.
STAR is a catalyst for social interactions, celebration and fun in a country like Nigeria, music is central to all of these. STAR and Music go so well together. No wonder the brand has made tremendous contributions to the music industry; changing the Iives of many Nigerian musicians; discovering new talents and transforming unknown musicians into fame and fortune. See the checklist – STAR Mega Jam, STAR Quest, STAR Trek.
In this era of high unemployment in the country, millions of Nigerians and thousands of businesses today earn their living and income from STAR – distributors, transporters, hotels restaurants, beer parlours, pepper soup joints, etc. These in turn support thousands of families and several dependants. Share the Brighter Life!!!
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