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Just the Thing for Laid Off Cell Phone Builders

Thirsty? You better be, if you’re buying the latest offering from Nokian Panimo Oy, a brewer in Finland. “The whole thing was just made for fun,” admits the brewery’s managing director, Matti Heikkila, “and to show how ridiculous it is to be innovative just by packing items in different size retail packages.” Their “innovative” new retail package needs a forklift to move: it’s a 1,000-pack of Keisari beer. It’s their response to the record-sized 100-pack recently offered by their rival, Hartwall. When a sales rep suggested the retribution, customers were so enthusiastic that “we were forced to really produce this 1,000 pack,” Heikkila said. The catch: it’s only available in stores near the brewery, in Nokia. Still, there have been sales of the 1,000-pack which, to make it fit nicely into the package, actually contains 1,080 cans. (RC/PA) ...Hartwall’s next product: a do-it-yourself pure alcohol I.V. kit.