Fold7 Return Carlsberg to their Danish Roots

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Fold7 are on a mission to change perceptions of Carlsberg.

What comes to mind when you hear Carlsberg? Lager louts getting rowdy after the big match? That might have been fashionable in the late '90s, the era of Loaded magazine and 'Cool Britannia', but it doesn't wash any more. With this in mind, Fold 7 creative team Lucy Aston and Ben Ducker have gone back to the drawing board and created The Danish Way, a campaign that highlights Carlsberg's roots in Denmark, country of dense TV dramas, 'hygge' and actor Mads Mikkelsen, the centrepiece of the campaign.

In the TV ad launching the whole campaign, directed by Martin Krejci of Stink Films, the actor cycles around Copenhagen, leading us on a tour of its baths, modernist furniture, and finally the Carlsberg Export brewing facilities. This brewery has also inspired the repackaging of the Carlsberg Export brand, which features copper elements taken from colour of the brewing tanks, giving the beer a more craft feel.

Although the ad is a drastic rehaul for the brand, one element is remaining; the word 'Probably', synonymous with Carlsberg thanks to years of 'Carlsberg don't do ____, but if they did they'd probsbly be the best _____ in the world' ads such as the one below, which gives all the info you need on why an image revamp was overdue:

'Probably the best beer in the world' remains as the final tagline, with a teaser campaign in the lead-up to this ad also featuring the word, Danish-ified to become 'Prøbably'.

To explain why Carlsberg went with such a drastic change of image, Carlsberg UK marketing VP Liam Newton noted, “some consumers see mainstream lagers as interchangeable, and we know from extensive research that it’s incredibly important for them to be aware of the heritage of the brands they consume. We want our campaign to celebrate our Danish origins and bring new meaning to the iconic ‘Probably’ line.""

Alongside this ad, which will be followed up with social and digital content also starring Mikkelsen, Fold7 have created a range of print and OOH assets that strip Carlsberg and Danishness down to its simplest elements. And I when I say strip down, I mean literally in one case:

Fold7 founder Ryan Newey said of the campaign, ""[it] marks the biggest shift the brand has ever made. We’ve gone back to what makes Carlsberg so iconic: the magic of its Danish roots. The Danes’ perspective on life is unique and it’s no wonder such a happy culture makes the best beer in the world.”

We'll drink to that. Skål!

Click here to see more of the best work from Fold7.