Sustainable Development Goals > Planet

SNAP PACK

CARLSBERG, Copenhagen / CARLSBERG / 2019

Awards:

Silver Cannes Lions
CampaignCampaign(opens in a new tab)
Case Film
Presentation Image

Overview

Credits

Overview

Background

In a world first for the beer industry, the Danish brewer Carlsberg introduced an innovative new packaging solution for its six packs called the Snap Pack.

The Snap Pack replaces the plastic wrapping used around Carlsberg’s six packs with a pioneering technology that instead glues its cans together. A world’s first for the beer industry, it reduces the amount of plastic used in traditional multipacks by up to 76%. Three years in the making, the Snap Pack is just one of a number of sustainable packaging solutions from Carlsberg which were announced in September 2018.

The innovations represent the first of a series of consumer-facing manifestations of the Carlsberg Group’s sustainability programme, Together Towards ZERO, which includes ambitions of a ZERO carbon footprint and ZERO water waste. They have first been applied on the flagship Carlsberg brand to drive constant reappraisal and refinement. This has helped to further substantiate the iconic tagline of ‘Probably the Best Beer in the World’ in a meaningful way - giving consumers a great tasting beer that also helps them to reduce their environmental impact.

Describe the cultural/social/political/environmental climate in your region and the significance of your campaign within this context

Around the world, plastic is a hot topic on everyone’s lips. Plastic pollution is taking over our shorelines and has toxic impacts on humans, animals, waterways, oceans and the environment in general.

Countries are cracking down on their use of plastic, implementing new laws and measures to reduce the amount of plastic pollution.

There have been numerous photos that have surfaced in the past few years of sea life with their heads caught in the bulky plastic rings used to hold six packs of beer together, that have somehow ended up in our oceans.

As a global brand with products sold in more than 150 markets, the Snap Pack is just one of the ways that Carlsberg has taken it upon itself to help make a difference and do their part in the worldwide fight against plastic pollution.

Describe the creative idea

Plastic shrink-wrapping and rings are used to hold together multipacks of canned drinks, particularly beers.

This has been an industry-wide standard packaging device for more than 50 years, but they have become an environmental scourge – contributing to the growing ocean plastic pollution and posing a threat to marine life and to the image of the world´s global brewers.

The Snap Pack is a sustainable packaging solution that “sticks” the cans together in a multipack form - allowing users to easily “snap” them apart when required.

Describe the strategy

Carlsberg wanted to lead by example. As part of an overall commitment toward energy neutrality and a zero carbon footprint, they wanted to show consumers and other breweries that it is possible to reduce the plastic waste and environmental impact of the brewing industry, because more than 40% value chain carbon footprint comes from packaging.

Fundamentally, the strategy was based on creating an innovative product and packaging design, at comparable price point, and allowing consumers to make a smarter and more sustainable choice.

Although the campaign gathered plenty of positive media across the globe, the strategy was not about getting PR, but rather to create a meaningful, sustainable product and way of packaging that would be available to all consumers to buy. Anywhere. Anytime.

Describe the execution

The final Snap Pack design, the result of years of product research and development in collaboration with KHS systems, launched in September 2018 across three major markets, Denmark, Norway and in UK at the end of the year.

The design stripped away all superfluous shrink-wrap, reducing plastic packaging by 76%, and replacing the notorious six pack rings with tiny dots of glue. This new kind of six pack had a sleek, minimal design, and is set to reduce Carlsberg’s plastic waste by 1200 tonnes a year (the equivalent of 60 million plastic bags).

The new design was supported by various campaign materials, and simple posters across airports and retail with a simple philosophical thought: “Can we reduce plastic waste if we stick together? Probably.”

Describe the results/impact

Aside from the reduction of 1200 tonnes of plastic waste Carlsberg is set to reduce annually, the Snap Pack design has been a very visible spearhead of the brand’s sustainability initiatives by putting their commitment in the hands of consumers.

The new design has gained more than 1.5 billion earned media impression and counting. With positive coverage from journalists at Forbes, the BBC, The Guardian and institutions like WWF and World Economic Forum.

Since the Snap Pack launch in Denmark, Carlsberg has seen a 19% increase in the sales of six packs. In the UK, the country’s largest retailer, TESCO, has now started selling Carlsberg because of the packaging, showing other businesses that designing for sustainability is indeed a good investment.

Since launching Snap Pack last year, Carlsberg has seen a 6% increase in global growth. To date, Carlsberg has sold over 30 million litres of beer in Snap Packs.

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