Carlsberg UK updates flagship brand

Furthering its reinvention, Carlsberg UK has launched a limited-edition packaging for its flagship brand, Carlsberg. The packaging, called The København Collection', is part of a £15m marketing spend, hoping to connect the brand with millenials.

Inspired by the simplicity of Danish design, each pack in the København Collection – Danish for Copenhagen – embodies an abstract interpretation of Carlsberg beer’s ingredients: barley, hops and its legendary brewers’ yeast.

The limited edition packs will be available across the UK off-trade between February and September 2017 in a variety of can and bottle formats, including a new premium 330ml-sized bottle and secondary outer packaging. The premium 330ml-sized bottle will also be available in UK on-trade pubs, bars and restaurants.

Liam Newton, vice president of marketing, Carlsberg UK says: “The København Collection is a bold launch for Carlsberg in the UK, marking 170 years of brewing excellence. Carlsberg has a remarkable place in the history of brewing when our founder, J.C. Jacobsen, and his team of beer scientists discovered purified yeast in 1883 – which changed the quality of lager that is enjoyed to this day. These designs communicate Carlsberg’s unique place in beer in a manner that we believe will engage millennials.”

The København Collection complements the new-look design for the brewer’s premium Carlsberg Export brand, also available from February. The brand has transformed with a stylish design that is influenced by the cross from the Danish flag, while the signature of founder, J.C. Jacobsen, and the word ‘København’ underline the brand’s roots.

The relaunch of the Carlsberg brand will be supported by a £15m campaign incorporating media and integrated consumer activity, launching in April. The campaign will celebrate the brand’s Danish heritage and taps into consumer demand for authenticity and the trend towards premiumisation in the beer category.

28 January 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant