I have a particular affinity for Grolsch. I'm not normally a lager drinker; it all tends to taste the same to me, and the gas is a by-product of heavy consumption that I could quite frankly do without. For that reason, I've always been a cask ale man, but the bottle, oh my the bottles. The windowsill of my office is lined with empty Grolsch bottles, not because I'm openly advertising my love of the beer, but because the design of the bottle is so iconic and aesthetically pleasing, I'd probably have bought them even if they contained nothing but bog water (or Carling, same difference), just for display purposes.
The latest global campaign for the Grolsch premium lager brand from VCCP is dubbed “400 Years of Originality”
The Dutch Brewery has always been seen as a classier alternative to Stella Artois and Budweiser, and I honestly believe that's at least partially due to the brand's remarkable packaging and exemplary advertising campaigns. Simply put, design is almost as important to the Grolsch name as the beer itself, so it's only fitting that the brand would celebrate it's anniversary (400 years would you believe) with a little artistic flair.
Grolsch 400 – Hiten Bawa
The latest global campaign for the premium lager brand from VCCP is dubbed “400 Years of Originality,” and encompasses a nationwide, six-figure advertising campaign, limited edition packs, unique experiential activity and a unique street art installation, all of which are built around the beer's official 400th birthday on the 11th of May 2015. The theme plays on the brand's reputation for originality, with specific focus falling on the iconic swing-top bottle. 400 artists from across the globe have created a fresh interpretation of the bottle, with designs featuring on a series of limited edition packs. The full range of artwork will be revealed on the Grolsch Canvas web portal in May, during the brand's birthday celebrations. The site already features interviews with some of the artists involved, and will be updated regularly on the build up to the 11th of May.
Grolsch is also bringing the campaign to life with a unique experiential tour, which begins in London on the 10th of March
Each country will utilise work from their own native artists. In the UK, for example, the artists chosen to take part in the project include Greg Barth, Nicos Livesey and Tom Bunker, Cathering Losing, Noah Harris and Kyle Bean, all of whom have created their own unique interpretations of the Grolsch bottle. These bespoke designs will be used in an integrated campaign by VCCP, which will include targeted OOH, digital advertising and social media.
Grolsch 400 – Noper
For those of us who prefer our marketing experiences to be a little more lively, Grolsch is also bringing the “400 Years of Originality” campaign to life in London from March 10th, with an experiential tour that lets guests sample the beer, and create their own portraits using unique visual effects. These portraits can be shared via social media or printed out there and then, with consumers also to be given a voucher to redeem on their next purchase of Grolsch. Hundreds of the finished portraits are also scheduled to be projected on to a billboard at Waterloo station, with the pictures all coming together to form one giant, original bottle design. After hitting the big smoke, the tour will be moving to seven other cities throughout the UK including Birmingham and Manchester. Londoners will also get to enjoy a new street art installation on March 9th in Shoreditch, which will be created primarily using empty Grolsch bottles. Looks like I'm something of a trend setter!
“Grolsch was founded on innovation and originality; shown in its iconic swing top bottle” Ali Pickering, portfolio brand director at Molson Coors
Ali Pickering, portfolio brand director at Molson Coors, Grolsch's parent group said they are “Hugely excited to launch this activity” for the brand's 400th anniversary. She adds that “Grolsch was founded on innovation and originality; shown in its iconic swing top bottle,” so they “Wanted to mark the anniversary by honouring the original spirit which has been key to its success.” She feels that this campaign “Champions the individuals who just like Grolsch are trying innovative ways to create original products.” I don't know about all that, but I'm all for celebrating, especially when there's beer involved, and if the Grolsch brand's artistic pedigree is anything to go by, we should be seeing some incredibly interesting designs come May.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
