Industry & Business

Carlsberg Group is launching a new marketing campaign for its sideways step into the ‘hard drinks’ sector with Seth & Riley’s Garage. The campaign for S&R’s Garage will be launched online globally, and be shown on TV in ten countries including Canada, Russia and Denmark.

The beverage, which has an ABV of 4.6%, is aimed at people aged 25 and over, who are seeking something different from their alcoholic drinks. Its immediately obvious, laidback brand persona, perfectly balanced bittersweet taste and rustic appearance clearly differentiate it from its competitors.

The campaign uses the tagline ‘Kind of genius. Kind of’’, and the centrepiece of the communication will be a series of social films developed by Duval Guillaume.

Olga Lee, senior innovation project manager at Carlsberg Group, says: “At the heart of the campaign is the notion that the mind is ready to find something when it is relaxed – so everything starts with an empty garage. The social films and all marketing communication play into this notion with surprising and witty results, alongside an irreverent, confident and somewhat nonchalant approach.”

Seth & Riley’s Garage has already enjoyed a successful launch in Finland where the brand performed well on consumers trying it, differentiation and uniqueness amongst the target audience.

This is Carlsberg Group’s first step into the ‘hard drinks’ category which originated in the USA in 1999 and is now worth $1 billion per annum.

Olga Lee continues: “We have identified a market opportunity to create a drink that targets people who are neither satisfied with the current choice of FABs and other long drinks, nor with beer and wine. And the majority of products similar to S&R’s Garage use garish colours and appeal to a different market.  Our proposition is trendy and modern, in a mature and responsible way. We believe we have bridged the gap with a product that not only tastes great, but has a credible and aspiring proposition for consumers.”