Revitalising a Great British brand
Reigniting relevance, credibility, and Britishness for a new generation of drinkers.
The Business Challenge
Carling, a once-iconic beer brand, faced declining relevance and credibility with its core audience of sociable young men amidst a competitive and evolving market.
Carling, a staple of British beer culture, had lost its appeal to a younger generation of drinkers. The brand was struggling to maintain its identity in a fast-changing, crowded market where consumer tastes were shifting, and its traditional British heritage no longer felt relevant or distinctive. Carling needed a fresh strategy to reestablish its place in pub conversations and on fridge shelves while connecting authentically with sociable young men.
The Diagnosis
Carling needed to reimagine its British heritage and adapt its approach to better resonate with modern audiences while maintaining its core values.
Our analysis showed that Carling’s traditional appeal as a “quintessentially British” brand had grown stale, and it lacked the relatability and cultural resonance necessary to connect with younger audiences. The competitive beer market, coupled with evolving consumer preferences, required Carling to modernise its approach while leveraging its rich heritage. The solution lay in pairing humour and modern British identity to reignite the brand’s connection with its target audience.
The Solution
We revitalised Carling’s brand strategy, injecting modern British humour and relatability into the creative campaign, centred on the tagline, “It’s good...but it’s not quite Carling.”
Our solution was a comprehensive overhaul of Carling’s brand strategy. We repositioned the brand by embracing its British heritage and infusing it with a witty, relatable tone. The campaign’s tagline, “It’s good...but it’s not quite Carling,” became the cornerstone of our creative approach. The phrase resonated deeply with our audience, embedding itself into popular culture.We rolled out the campaign across multiple touchpoints, including TV, digital, and experiential marketing. The TV spot “Trickshot” became a standout success, testing as the most engaging and entertaining Carling ad in history.
Additionally, we launched #BrightonOrBarbados, an interactive campaign that combined digital engagement with a bespoke event attended by 60,000 people, generating over 10.5 million Twitter impressions. The combination of humour, relatability, and modern Britishness brought Carling back to the forefront of conversations and reinvigorated its relevance among young drinkers.
The Results
22% uplift in brand bonding
The TV ad “Trickshot” was rated the most engaging and entertaining Carling ad ever by Millward Brown
Catchphrase embedded in popular culture
“It’s good...but it’s not quite Carling” became a cultural touchstone.
10.5 million Twitter impressions
The #BrightonOrBarbados campaign drove significant digital engagement and event attendance.
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