page_title: Three Horses Beer
section_title: Marketing
hierarchical_section_title: Three Horses Beer / Marketing
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Werbung für THB in Fianarantsoa
context_page_description: Three Horses Beer is a pale lager that has been brewed by Star Breweries of Madagascar since 1958. It is the highest selling beer in Madagascar and has been described as emblematic of the country. THB is sold nationwide and since 2005 has been exported to such markets as France, Reunion Island, Comoros and Mayotte. The Malagasy beer is produced at two breweries in Madagascar, the first centrally located in Antsirabe and the other in the northern city of Antsiranana. THB Pilsener, the most common variant of THB, has a light taste and is produced from mostly local barley, corn and hops. Star Breweries also produces THB Fresh, THB Special, and THB Lite. Recent investments in Star Brewery infrastructure have allowed a 20% increase in production since 2011.
  After advertising alcohol in the media was banned under former President Marc Ravalomanana, Star Breweries has increasingly promoted THB through unconventional means. These have included sponsoring the THB Champions League, Madagascar's national football championship, and holding annual beer festivals. In addition, THB is a regular sponsor of local musicians through major annual festivals and tours.
context_section_description: To create the original label for THB, Star Breweries opted to copy an existing label for a Dutch beer brand called The Holland Beer, which featured the image of three horses. This was done in part because of the association between Antsirabe and its history of horse breeding; the brand took the name Three Horses Beer based on this design. The label also features the brand's slogan, Soa Ny Fiarahantsika ("The Pleasure of Being Together"). The labels were originally printed in the Netherlands and shipped to Madagascar before eventually being produced on the local market; THB coasters continue to be produced in Europe. The bottle color and shape and its label have undergone adjustments over time. In 2005, the label was enlarged and the colors brightened. The band around the neck of the bottle was also broadened with the addition of the image of a medal, in honor of the beer's first international award in 2004. A new logo was adopted for the canned THB before being expanded in 2014 to the 33 cl bottled THB. The new logo features three stylized, outlined white horses, now facing right to represent a focus on the future. Red remains the predominant color.
  Advertising alcohol on television and in the press was outlawed under president Marc Ravalomanana. In order to maximize brand recognition of THB, the company altered the label for its Fresh shandy, which was exempt from this ban due to its low alcohol content, to match the THB Pilsener design but using a green background instead of the pilsener's red. The pilsener is advertised in a variety of non-traditional ways, such as through celebrity promotion in music videos and music and sporting event sponsorship. THB is considered by the public as a promoter of Malagasy culture and identity, particularly through its sponsorship of its annual THB Tour traveling music festival and the THB fête de la bière (beer festival). Three Horses Beer sponsors the THB Champions League, the national football championship. Many popular musical artists have advertised THB, including superstars Jerry Marcoss, AmbondronA, Samoëla, Tsiliva, Tence Mena and Jaojoby.
  THB launched its first website in 2008.  In 2015, in honor of the 55th anniversary of national independence, Star Breweries launched a new campaign to promote the beer. The company announced a new slogan, "THB eo foana e!" (THB always!) to be promoted alongside its historic slogan. A song by the same name, written and performed by BIG MJ and the group Tambour Gasy, and an accompanying music video, will promote the beer and the new slogan.
caption: THB Fresh was exempted from President Marc Ravalomanana's ban on media advertisement of alcoholic beverages.
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