We decided to combine our two most loved summer refreshments and create an ice cream made out of beer. We called it the SorBeer. With an ice cream out of beer, we could offer beer drinkers and summer lovers the ultimate refreshment that provided that great beer taste in a sorbet format – with a touch of lemon to add extra freshness. SorBeer was a way to enhance the great flavours and ingredients of Carlsberg beer, while also creating a fun and witty product – filled with taste and totally free from alcohol.

The execution of the project was made in three steps:

1. Creating the SorBeer:

Just in time for summer, we teamed up with the Swedish ice cream maker StikkiNikki. She is known for her high-quality, homemade ice cream and unique ingredients. Based on Carlsberg Non Alcoholic, we asked her to create a recipe for SorBeer.

2. Media outreach:

SorBeer was pitched to Swedish media along with press material, lifestyle photos and the “secret” ice cream recipe from StikkiNikki. The news was also communicated in Carlsberg’s own social media channels.

3. SorBeer on tour:

We created a portable ice cream cart which toured the country throughout the summer, visiting both music festivals and events. SorBeer became an excellent tool for Carlsberg to communicate one of its most important political issues: responsible drinking.

With a minimal budget, 10,000 USD, we managed to create a massive media buzz that quickly spread internationally. Almost every clipping mentioned the quality and flavour of the beer, and sales of Carlsberg Non-Alcoholic went through the roof.

Results in numbers:

Sales of Carlsberg Non-Alcoholic surged 33%;

99% of the coverage were in point to our tone of voice and mentioned the beer flavour;

A 10 million reach through earned media;

66 articles in earned media in Sweden;

2016’s fifth most shared news about Carlsberg in the world, giving pride and acknowledgement for the client internationally;

Mentions of SorBeer were even shared in social media by several members of parliament.