Mads Mikkelsen deals with the person responsible for Carlsberg’s old beer in UK. Probably.

Cristina Blanaru Ads, Creativity

Carlsberg brand philosopher Mads Mikkelsen returns to UK TV screens this May, as part of Carlsberg UK’s ambition to tell 97% of UK adults about new Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. The new UK-specific TV ad will run through summer and deliver the same honesty and humour as the campaign that has captured the attention of the nation over the last month.

In the new ad, Danish actor Mikkelsen confesses :

In the UK, Carlsberg pursued being the biggest, not the best and the beer suffered.

After enjoying a pint of new Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, Mads hints at what happened to the person responsible for the old beer in the UK.

Liam Newton, vice president of marketing, Carlsberg UK:

At Carlsberg UK, we lost our way. We focused on brewing quantity, not quality; we became one of the cheapest, not the best. In order to live up to our promise of being ‘probably the best beer in the world’, we had to brew a better one. So we’ve completely rebrewed Carlsberg from head to hop in order to create a crisper, fuller flavor.

The aim of our marketing campaign is to get consumers to try our new Carlsberg Danish Pilsner and drive re-appraisal of the brand in the UK.  It’s been great to see the reaction so far, and we hope drinkers will respond to the humour of our new TV ad, starring Mads Mikkelsen, by trying Carlsberg Danish Pilsner this summer.

Ryan Newey, CCO Fold7:

The new spot continues to build on the campaign launched on social media a few weeks ago, Carlsberg confronts the issues it may have had with the old brew and concludes that the issue has now been firmly dealt with, in a way only Carlsberg could.

The new 30 second Carlsberg Danish Pilsner advert debuted on UK television screens on Thursday 23rd May during Hatton Garden on ITV and will run throughout the summer on TV and digital channels. A 50 second version, premiers during Gogglebox on Channel 4 on Friday, 24th May.

New Carlsberg Danish Pilsner can be found in on and off-trade outlets across the UK now.

Credits for “The Lake”

  • CCO: Ryan Newey
  • Creative Directors: Adrian Lim, Rupert Jordan
  • Agency Producer: Michelle Hickey
  • Agency Client Services: James Joice, Chloe Cooper, Kathryn Mason
  • Production company: MJZ
  • Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
  • Producer: Tim Wild
  • DOP: Rasmus Videbaek
  • Editor: Bill Smedley and Charlie Moreton at Work
  • Post Production: Greg Spencer at The Mill
  • Grade: James Bamford at The Mill
  • Audio Post Production: Sam Robson at 750mph
  • Music: Major Tom

Creative agencies – Fold7, Clifford French and Initiative