The Making of a New Beer
How Pift was developed through co-creation with the target group
More and more people find beer a little bitter and therefore switch to wine, cider and cocktails. But they miss the attractive and relaxed beer community that has a central role in Danish culture. A gap in the market was defined for a new beer with fruity notes and low bitterness.
A GAP IN THE MARKET
In the Summer of 2021, we were contacted by Royal Unibrew as they had identified a gap in the Danish market observing that more consumers (primarily women and young people) were opting out of beer in favour of wine, cider and cocktails. However, those who chose other options than beer missed being part of the social and casual occasions around beer.
To meet that demand we were briefed by Royal Unibrew to develop and design a new beer with fruit notes and low bitterness – a fresh wheat beer with different tasty, fruity flavours.
TARGET AUDIENCE INSIGHTS
Our research of the target audience – primarily urban women aged 18-25 years – made us realise that women won’t drink beer marketed as ”female beer”. Hence, our beer needed to be unisex.
Our research also gave us important knowledge about the value of the bottle. The target audience perceives the bottle as an accessory with an important aesthetic value.
Thirdly, we knew the importance of having a brand with a purpose. The savvy generation Z demands that brands take action through advocacy and genuine activities.
USER INVOLVEMENT AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT
Throughout the development of PIFT the involvement of the target audience was key and we developed 8 different concepts to test in focus groups with the target audience.
Susanne Lund and Mette Bech in a co-working session with the young people.
URBAN BEER
Even though several concepts showed great potential, one concept stood above the rest:
The Urban Beer that pays tribute to Street Art and all the artists who make our cities even more beautiful.
To create an authentic and trustworthy brand we had to get inside the subculture of street art. For that reason, the renowned street artist, Copenhagen Poster, was picked to curate and find the right candidates to decorate our labels.
As a result two of the most acclaimed street artists Rasmus Balstrøm and Isaac Malakkai were chosen for the first two labels.
On a cold Danish winter day in December 2021, the two label designs were created on two giant canvas boards. The artwork was filmed throughout the day to create time-lapses of the work for the brand’s social media platforms.
PIFT Citrus / SoMe communication
PIFT Mango / SoMe communication
Meanwhile, we worked on designing the perfect bottle as well as a visual and verbal identity for the brand. The result was a beautiful frosted CERES bottle in the colour Petrol.
After an extensive naming process, the name PIFT was chosen for the brand. PIFT is Danish and means ”a hint of something”.
IMPRESSIVE TEST RESULTS
An eValuate Concept test by Kantar identified the new brand as a STAR concept characterised by a concept with broad appeal amongst the total sample that will drive growth on the existing brand franchise.
Based on the test, Kantar’s recommendation was clear: Fast track development and bring it to the market quickly.
THE LAUNCH OF PIFT
PIFT was launched in Copenhagen in Easter 2022 with a spectacular party where the artworks created by Rasmus Balstrøm and Isaac Malakkai were displayed at an indoor installation. The party included renowned street artists, DJs, lots of PIFT beers – and a very happy urban crowd.
ACTIVATION
The activation plan for PIFT includes facilitating street art festivals and selecting various street art artists to decorate the city walls – to pay tribute to Street Art and all the artists who make our cities even more beautiful.
“CPH strategy har hele pakken. Kombinationen af det strategiske, det ægte indsigtsbaserede og det kreative – tilmed i altsammen på et højt niveau. Det er faktisk lidt unikt og skaber meget stærke resultater, ikke mindst når det samtidig kommer i en pakke med topprofessionel projektstyring.”
Kasper Andreasen, Head of Insights & Category at Royal Unibrew