Shah Alam, 6 April 2011 – Today is a big day for Carlsberg. Today is the re-launch of the Carlsberg brand. After more than two years in the making, Carlsberg unveils a new global initiative that will see its brand undergo a major transformation and the introduction of a new slogan ‚That Calls for a Carlsberg!‛.

The global transformation will occur simultaneously across more than 140 markets Carlsberg operates in and aims to leverage its vast history and legacy of beer brewing to chart a future for the brand that many around the world value and enjoy.

"Carlsberg is the name above the door. We are proud of our Carlsberg brand – for the pleasure it gives to so many, and for how the brand and its founding story and values still inspire us, ‛ says Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen, Carlsberg’s CEO.

'People are familiar with Carlsberg but do not necessarily know what it represents. This global campaign is our way of getting our story out there to both our mature markets and our newer markets. We want people to know that Carlsberg beer stands for something - It stands for our unique heritage and our founders’ passion and innovative spirit. It stands for quality and for great taste.‛

For the first time, Carlsberg will share the same core visual identity for the brand worldwide, giving the brand the same look and feel in terms of packaging and bottle across all markets. Carlsberg will start using the same selling line, ‚That calls for a Carlsberg,‛ and will also launch a new campaign including new advertising materials at the same time around the world.

In Malaysia, Carlsberg has enjoyed tremendous success, winning in both brand recognition and brand preference. Carlsberg has been continuously voted as the #1 beer brand in Malaysia by bodies such as Putra Brand Awards and Reader’s Digest Most Trust Brand Awards.

'Carlsberg’s famous green logo is very well known in Malaysia, with 1 out of 2 beer drinkers preferring the brand compared to any other brand,‛ says Soren Ravn, Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia. ‚With this new global initiative, we are out to bring the other 1 out of 2 beer drinkers into the fold, that Carlsberg may be raised in every occasion.‛

Carlsberg will invest significantly in the Carlsberg brand, widening distribution channels and making every effort to get closer to customers and consumers. ‚We are confident that these initiatives will significantly drive sales growth in Carlsberg in the years to come and support our overall ambition to be the dominant player in Malaysia."

New Positioning

The Carlsberg’s founder - J.C. Jacobsen, stepped out from the comfort zone to discover the perfect beer brewing methods inspired the new positioning of Carlsberg. With the new re-launch campaign, Carlsberg hopes to inspire people across the world to step up ‚do the right thing‛. Doing the right thing is about striving to be better even though the road to success is paved with obstacles, but do not stop trying to achieve what the consumers dream off.

Bold New Look, Same Great Taste

 The new positioning calls for a brand that is vibrant, contemporary, young, ‘cool’, inspirational, bold and modern and is anchored on the rich heritage of Carlsberg as well as the same good quality and great taste of Carlsberg. With this initiative, consumers will see a refresh across every channel, market and touch points.

A completely refresh of the iconic Carlsberg Crown will be revealed to the public for the very first time. The new Crown, which continues to tell the story of its rich Carlsberg heritage, has been made more simple and distinctive and will feature a refined and more modern look. This new look is a product of taking the current times and the fresh and younger audience into consideration.

Carlsberg packaging will also be receiving a fresher and modern look. The new packaging on its Quart and Profile bottles will see the Carlsberg brand embossed on the bottle, with a new neck-shape label, all of which presents Carlsberg in a very appealing manner. While the content size and Carlsberg’s great taste will remain untouched, the new packaging is expected to be more appealing to a wider, more modern audience while at the same time delivering a far more iconic and consistent look and feel to all Carlsberg’s packaging.

On the same day, teams of Carlsberg staff will be visiting outlets across the country to initiate a refresh across all trade outlets. Trade outlets will be receiving a refreshing new look with new Carlsberg displays and trade loaders. In line with this, some outlets will feature a limited edition frame of miniature Carlsberg bottles dated back to 1904.

Carlsberg’s modes of transportation like delivery trucks and sales cars will also be receiving a new look. Carlsberg hopes that the trucks and sale cars will appeal to the masses and be as iconic as the Carlsberg crown whenever they are spotted on the roads of Malaysia.

‚We hope that the Carlsberg’s great taste that consumers have come to love will find new fans among consumers,‛ adds Soren. ‚With this global re-launch, we are confident more consumers will become loyal fans of the refreshing taste enjoyed by so many for decades.‛

Consumer activities

The launch of the new positioning will see Carlsberg venture into a revised and more specific target audience. While not alienating its core drinkers, Carlsberg will step up efforts to woo today’s active, adventurous generation of young people as research shows that across multiple markets; premium beer consumption is highest among them.

To appeal to the younger audiences, Carlsberg Malaysia will be organizing and featuring a variety of activities aimed at getting closer to these consumers. Highlights include:

• From now until May 2011, Carlsberg will showcase 6 internationally renowned female DJs as part of its consumer launch. These DJs are well known in their own genre of music and they will be showcasing their talents at Carlsberg outlets around the country.
• During these events, Carlsberg will be giving out free magnet bottle openers to consumers with the purchase of a Carlsberg. At the supermarkets and hypermarkets, there will be a contest where consumers who participate will stand a chance to win a personal or home makeover worth a total of RM250,000 (RM10,000 x 25 grand prizes).

'This is the most ambitious re-launch in the Carlsberg Group history. We have high expectations to the outcome. We have a strong belief that the brand has the potential to grow to a lot more than what it is today,‛ adds Soren. ‚With this, we are charting the future of Carlsberg and it begins today.‛

SIDEBAR STORY:

Carlsberg is definitely the brand to watch

Since 1847, the founder of Carlsberg, J.C. Jacobsen has committed himself to bringing science to the art of brewing. With the never-ending quest in search of the latest developments in the world of beer and most importantly cultivated a pure yeast strain that ensured each beer tasted as good as the last.

Since then, the Carlsberg brand has enjoyed global brand distribution, has become a brand of high awareness, and is the ‘name above the door.’

All of which still links back to its founders, whose deep heritage of passion, innovation and entrepreneurship still connects with today’s young consumers. A sign that their spirit is still a part of what makes Carlsberg special.