Each year, Marketing Week crowns the best Campaign of the Year. Readers have spoken and the Best Marketing Campaign of 2019 went to Carlsberg UK.

“For the past two years we’ve been working hard on delivering the Pilsner overhaul, and I’m very proud that our campaign in the UK has been called out by Marketing Week readers in recognition of the relaunch. It’s a proud moment for the team,”  says Liam Newton, vice president of marketing, Carlsberg UK.

The relaunch of Carlsberg Danish Pilsner in the UK was two years in the making and saw every consumer touch-point of the brand refreshed. This included a new beer – which was rebrewed from head to hop – alongside new packaging, glassware, font and pack formats. In addition, for the first time in the UK, Pilsner was available with a new, innovative packaging solution, Snap Pack, which replaces unpopular plastic rings by gluing cans together.

The launch was backed by an integrated communications campaign spanning Out of Home, digital, sampling activations and a new TVC called ‘The Lake’ starring Danish icon, Mads Mikkelsen. A standout social media campaign called Mean Tweets, racked up 15 million video views, reaching 6 million people in the UK. The brand also responded to over 6,000 consumer messages about its new brew – the good and the bad!

Looking ahead, next year will see continued investment in Carlsberg Danish Pilsner in the UK in order to drive wider trial and reappraisal of the brand.

Newton concludes: “We’re proud of the work that has been delivered this year, and this recognition by Marketing Week and its readers is a testament to the brave decisions we took. 

“However, we’re fully aware this is just the start, and changing perceptions of a brand like Carlsberg takes time. We’ll enjoy the moment and take confidence that the brand is heading in the right direction with further exciting plans for next year.”

Are we up for the challenge? Probably.