Whilst some might have accused Carlsberg of flogging a dead horse with their now iconic “If Carlsberg Did” and “Probably The Best” campaigns, every time the brand has veered away from the format, the public starts to miss them and sales dip. So in recent years, the lager juggernaut has stuck vehemently to an “If it ain't broke don't fix it” mandate. Instead of allowing the concept grow stale though, the brand continues to reach out to forward-thinking agencies , each of whom have put their own unique spin on the tagline. The last of note was CP+B Scandinavia, who launched an elaborate campaign based around “Beer Beauty” male grooming products. 72andSunny Amsterdam also managed to reign in Peter Schmeichel and Sky Sports football presenter Jeff Stelling last August for a pretty epic kick-about in aid of the brand.
If Carlsberg did Shopping Trollies
The latest agency to try their hand at lending fresh life to the ageing tagline is Fold7, who have gone with the rather audacious idea of creating what could be the best shopping trolley in the world. The agency worked with car customisers Yiannimize to create a motorised trolley for the spot and accompanying campaign. Yiannimize are billed as the “Car customiser to the stars,” and deal in the kind of OTT custom jobs that would make Xzibit and the Pimp My Ride crew blush. The company, based in Enfield, North London, have revamped a standard ASDA trolley to feature alloy wheels, a custom-built cooling system in the basket for ice-cold beers of course, a dashboard featuring an in-built digital screen, leather racing seat for style and comfort and a satellite navigation system.
“Shopping for groceries isn't always the most exciting thing, so we wanted to add a little Carlsberg magic to the process”
On Tuesday 26th January, which just so happened to be my 30th birthday, Carlsberg trialled the bespoke trolley at the ASDA in Clapham Junction amid a selection of unsuspecting shoppers. Hidden camera footage captured amazed members of the public as the trolley was driven through the store.
Behind the Scenes
Dharmesh Rana, Senior Brand Manager at Carlsberg UK, said: “This is the latest in our line of If Carlsberg Did experiences, and we wanted to use the supermarket insight we receive from our consumers to create a trolley like no other. Shopping for groceries isn't always the most exciting thing to do, so we wanted to add a little If Carlsberg Did magic to the process. Ultimately it’s about making the experience of purchasing our products more enjoyable for our customers” Yianni Charalambous, Director at Yiannimize, added: “We’re used to working with high-end, premium car manufacturers, so when Carlsberg approached us we were naturally very excited – it’s one of the most challenging briefs we’ve ever had. We’re confident we’ve delivered probably the best trolley in the world.”
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK. He doesn't usually drink Carlsberg, but probably would if he got to drive that trolley!
