Carlsberg "Nightclubs"

I'll end this review of the Carlsberg "Don't Do" campaign with this last ad, which shows what Carlsberg would do if in charge of nightclubs. As stated before, the campaign was incredibly successful. While I have only showcased ads created primarily for the Irish market by OwensDDB, many other agencies (in particular Saatchi&Saatchi) produced similar ads worldwide. Many of the Irish ads were also shown to international audiences.

Upon the campaigns completion, Carlsberg faced many challenges with creating a campaign that easily encompassed the brand values and viewpoint as concisely as this series. By 2005, Heineken had become the market leader and Carlsberg was forced to rethink their strategy to ensure consumers remembered why they loved Carlsberg. However this stall in Carlsberg's growth cannot diminish the success and popularity of this brilliant campaign. 

Carlsberg "Flatmates"

Continuing on with our look at some of Carlsberg's "Don't Do" campaign, Flatmates remains a top audience favourite. Carlsberg is a brand that has a playful image and this ad really reinforced the target markets opinion that it was a likeable brand. The total campaign saw a steady rise in sales for the company, and entered into the pantheon of great Irish advertising. Also worth noting is the copy line, "Carlsberg, probably the best larger in the world", is still widely remembered and universally believed as a catchphrase.

OwensDDB's market research showed that consumers valued the brands integrity and lack of pretension. Many of the ad's also prominently featured football, a key interest in the target demographic and tied to Carlsberg's corporate sponsoring of Irish football. The cleverness, insight and imagination this campaign portrayed makes it clear why it is still so widely remembered and has become a key distinguishing feature for the brand. 

Carlsberg "Dreams"

Going back to a slightly older ad in this post, with Carlsberg's 2002 "Dreams", one of the featured ads in the outstanding "Don't Do" campaign. Ireland qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2002, and the national hysteria surrounding the event had began to rise. Carlsberg capitalised on this, providing a humorous ad that hankers back to the country's infamous Italia '90 success. Jason McAteer, an Irish football player, is a great use of celebrity cameo and really ties the ad together. Another great shot is taken outside a chipvan, a subtle reference to "The Van", a film fondly remembered by the Irish public.

Even still, OwensDBB, the agency which created the campaign, receive feedback from focus groups that Carlsberg should reinstate it's "Don't Do" campaign. I aim to cover a few more of this series in the coming weeks, as an example of some truly engaging best practice.