Following a year which saw the brewer invest in the relaunch of its flagship Carlsberg Danish Pilsner with the bold admission that its old brew wasn’t ‘Probably the Best Beer in the World’, Carlsberg UK now shifts its attention to its premium lager, Carlsberg Expørt.

Nobody likes a show-off

Created by Fold7, the campaign sees the brewer trade on the equity of its ‘Probably’ strapline. Underpinned by the slogan ‘Probably the most modest beer in the world’, the ads see Carlsberg UK emphasise the Danes' philosophy on modesty and subtly communicates that consumers say they prefer its premium lager, Carlsberg Expørt, to competitors Stella Artois and Peroni.

Alastair Porter, Carlsberg Expørt Senior Brand Manager, Carlsberg UK, said: “The Carlsberg Expørt brand is modest by tradition but we decided now is the right time to make a bold claim like we did for Carlsberg Danish Pilsner.

“From consumer taste tests we know that most drinkers prefer Carlsberg Expørt (in a December 2019 independently conducted head to head blind taste test of premium lager drinkers). Therefore, the aim of our new campaign is to let premium lager drinkers know that there is great Carlsberg beer for them, and humbly suggest they try it.”

The campaign comes as beer drinkers continue to premiumise. Porter continues:

“Consumers are demanding quality plus premium experiences. We know that we have an excellent tasting, quality brew where drinkers not only prefer the taste – they also agree that Carlsberg Expørt is more refreshing, is smoother and has more depth of flavour.

“Our ‘Probably the most modest beer in the world’ campaign provides us with a platform to communicate our taste credentials and connect with consumers in Carlsberg’s unique, witty way”.

Integrated campaign

The £1.5m marketing campaign debuts on Monday 10 February across major poster sites, print media, retail poster sites, digital and social media channels and across the London underground. The new campaign will run through March and is planned for a repeat later in the year. Carlsberg Expørt will also invest in its music partnerships including Latitude Festival, Reading Festival and Download Festival, bringing great tasting lager and experiences to music fans.

The campaign comes following a wider premiumisation drive, which has seen the launch of sustainable packaging ‘Snap Pack’ launched on 6 x 330ml Carlsberg Expørt and a brand-new packaging look earlier last year, complementing new glassware and fount in the on-trade.