The Dutch lager has collaborated with its drinkers to create a new design that reflects the brand’s heritage while appealing to modern drinkers
Molson Coors, one of the UK’s biggest brewers, has unveiled a new, contemporary packaging design across Grolsch’s entire product range in the off-trade.
Grolsch wanted to update its packaging with a simplified design which conveys the brand’s heritage, while resonating with the way modern Grolsch drinkers view the world.
Grolsch therefore took the unusual step of inviting its beer drinkers to collaborate in the creative design process. A group of open-minded creative professionals were hosted at a dedicated space called ‘The Grolsch Greenhouse’ for a series of co-creation sessions.
The resulting design reflects a merging of the lager’s iconic Swingtop bottle with Grolsch’s unique two-hop recipe, which combine to form an integral part of the new look.
The refresh follows a new direction for Grolsch, which recently launched a new brand platform: ‘Unconventional by Tradition since 1615’, founded on a tradition of over 400 years of doing things differently.
Ali Pickering, brand director portfolio at Molson Coors UK comments: “Grolsch has a 400-year tradition of doing things a little differently, so it’s no surprise our approach to the new packaging has been unconventional as well. In a category usually not known for radical thinking, the result is a fresh, modern expression of the Grolsch heritage and further evidence that our brand is indeed ‘Unconventional by Tradition since 1615’. The end result is a refreshed new design which we feel speaks to our audience, namely because it was developed with them.”
Last year, Grolsch celebrated its 400-year birthday and ramped up its presence across the UK with its ‘Celebrating 400 years of Originality’ campaign. Limited edition Grolsch packaging created especially for the off-trade to mark the anniversary contributed to a 35% sales increase across the multiples in 2015.
25 February 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor