Carlsberg hoping for Mads success with Export relaunch

A four week burst of consumer advertising promoting “The Danish Way” gets underway on Channel 4 this Friday, alongside a three month cinema promotion and digital activity.

The promotion builds on the work already being rolled out into the on-trade with the rebranding of the Carlsberg Export brand which has seen new beer fonts and Danish design inspired “Kobenhavn” glassware introduced to pubs across the UK.

The adverts, which feature Star Wars star Mikkelsen cycling through iconic Danish landmarks while pondering the Danish key to happiness, aims to reinforce the brands 170 plus years of Danish heritage and reposition the brand in the eyes of younger consumers.

Liam Newton, vice president of marketing, said research had shown that there needed to be a change. “When you talk to some consumers, they think that all mainstream beers are the same, they taste the same and they market themselves in the same way.

“For our master brewers, that’s like a dagger through the heart. We have one of the most iconic advertising lines in the world, but when you scratch below the surface people didn’t really know a lot beyond that advertising.”

He said that blind tastings showed the brews were performing well, so it was the brand perception that needed to change.

The company is hoping the reinforcement of the brands Danish heritage will start them on that journey, with Newton pointing to the fact that Danish culture is currently very on-trend with consumers.

The company has also tied up with digital app Shazam, which has over 6m UK users, allowing pub customers to photo-scan, or Shazam, Carlsberg Export branding with a chance to win prizes.