How to make a beer ad that's "not awful"

Jeff Low, the director of Pablo's new ad for Birrificio Angelo Poretti, said of the spot: “Most ads are awful. This one is not. It’s a lovely thing to watch and was a privilege to be a part of it.”

Poretti brand owner Carlsberg, along with Pablo, has taken a very different approach in its 'Welcome to the Lake' ad, eschewing the cliches that are typical of the beer market - and the Mediterranean lager in particular in order to not be "awful".

The spot introduces a quirky new brand platform, combining a cinematic black and white look, with some surreal storytelling in the ancestral home of Poretti – the idyllic lakes of Northern Italy.

The brand is one of Carlsberg's main focuses this year as it seeks to firmly establish it within the currently booming Mediterranean lager market.

So why did they come up with such a different approach and how difficult was it to pull off (particularly in a market where beer ads are generally particularly awful)? Sam Johnson, head of marketing for Poretti, and David Shirley, creative director at Pablo, discuss its creation.

Creative Salon: Could you talk about where the brief came from and what you were hoping to achieve with it?

Sam Johnson: Yeah, so we started from a point where many ads don't really stand out. We had this stat that 89 per cent of ads aren't remembered, which was a key part of our thinking. When we look at the journey, it’s clear that we’re still in a competitive and somewhat crowded market. Our view was twofold: 89 per cent of ads are forgotten, and we have to break through and be different. That was the foundation for the brief. We saw an opportunity and knew we needed to be distinctive. We wanted to stay true to the brand, keeping it stylish and authentic, but the key was finding a way to approach it differently. We could’ve easily gone down a “me-too” route with beautiful people in beautiful places, holding the beer — something we’ve seen time and time again. But we wanted to take a different approach, and that led to the brief, asking, “How do we stand out?”

Creative Salon: Why did you decide to back this campaign now? What makes this the right moment for the brand to launch its first major campaign?

Sam Johnson: Well, it's certainly the first major one, and I’d say it’s the second big campaign since the brand launched in the UK. It feels like the right time. As I mentioned, the world beer category is where growth is happening within the lager market, and there’s been an explosion of new brands entering this space. This presents a great opportunity for us to scale the brand. Up until now, the growth has been steady, but now we’re in a position where it feels right to really push forward and make a strong play in this market.

Creative Salon: How did you decide on the creative route for this campaign?

David Shirley: As Sam mentioned, the challenge was getting across the brand's provenance. We wanted to highlight the rich Italian heritage and the long history of the brand, but we also needed to address the "sea of sameness" problem. So many brands feel similar — there’s even a naming issue as they all sound alike. It’s tough to stand out. So we wanted to create a world that reflected the northern Italian lakes, the region where the beer originates.

Sam Johnson: Yes, specifically from the northern Italian lakes, in a place called Valganna in the province of Varese. It’s about 40km from Milan and 20km from Lake Como. That area is stylish, laid-back, and on-trend. The key was capturing the essence of that region in a fresh way. It’s about finding the balance between elegance and authenticity, with a modern twist.

David Shirley: And we wanted to nod to classic Italian cinema with our approach, using black-and-white imagery. It's a departure from the typical saturated colours and smiling people on beaches that we see in a lot of ads. This allowed us to make the beer the real hero. We kept it classic and timeless, and then, at the end, the beer transitions into colour — a subtle but powerful way of announcing our arrival.

Creative Salon: You’ve also mentioned a lot of Italian clichés, which can be quite difficult to avoid. It’s obviously an Italian brand, though.

David Shirley: We set ourselves a challenge early on: if it feels familiar, we’re doing it wrong. So every step of the way, we used that as a yardstick. For example, instead of the typical romantic Italian track playing in the background, we chose a quirky track by Adriano Celentano. It was unexpected and different — exactly what we were aiming for. That became our approach throughout the campaign. It’s all about creating a wider world around our main protagonist, a fantastic actor, who has become our leading man.

He’s surrounded by an interesting group of characters. For instance, sure, he’ll go for a boat cruise, but his crew isn’t just the typical group you’d expect. We also built other stories within this world, like a garden party where statues are the guests, and a tennis match played by a string quartet, all watched over by Martin. It’s a bigger world with interesting tales that go beyond the expected. Every beer brand wants to evoke a sense of conviviality, but we’re doing it in a way that no one else is. That’s what sets us apart.

Sam Johnson: The category has been playing into a lot of clichés and classic tropes. We may have done that a bit in the past, too. Early on, we had a positioning that was about bringing people together around the table. But this is the first time we’ve really said, “We need to differentiate. We need to be more distinctive to break through.” It’s becoming harder and harder to stand out, so we had to push for something fresh.

David Shirley: There’s also a behavioural challenge. It’s easy for people to order their usual when they’re at the pub — there’s comfort in that routine. So, we wanted to tackle that. How do we get people to step outside their usual habits? That became part of our thematic focus: everything should be beyond the usual. We wanted to challenge people to try something new.

Creative Salon: Are you doing anything else to activate the campaign?

Sam Johnson: Yes, we’ve got quite a few activities as part of this campaign. For example, we’re running a national pack promotion where people can win a trip to the lakes. Over the past couple of years, we’ve also hosted various events, such as a food festival, which helped us drive trials with new consumers. There are many different activities both in the on- and off-trade that help people discover the brand and try the product. The product speaks for itself — it’s a fantastic beer, so once people try it, they tend to come back. The challenge is just making sure people are aware of it and can find it.

Creative Salon: Is the "lake" concept going to be a brand platform you can build on for future campaigns?

Sam Johnson: Yes, absolutely. We wanted something that would create an immediate impact while also being flexible enough to expand over the next three to five years. What we’ve created is a world and a brand idea that can evolve in many different directions. It gives us the opportunity to tell numerous stories about the lake and the people who live there, all in interesting and engaging ways.

Creative Salon: So, who is the target market for this campaign?

Sam Johnson: Our target audience is mainly between 30 and 59. But beyond demographics, it's about the attitude of the consumer. It’s a premium beer, so we’re looking at people who seek new experiences and are open to trying new beers or different ways of living. However, as you get older, life gets busier — family life takes over — and people tend to default to what they know. So, we want to encourage them to step outside their usual routine and try something different. It’s a premium product, and the audience is aligned with that.

Creative Salon: What do you think is driving the popularity of Mediterranean lager brands? It’s been a trend over the last few years.

Sam Johnson: There are a few factors. Generational shifts play a role — younger consumers are looking for something new and different, while older generations may stick with tried-and-true options. There’s also a sense of status associated with these brands, which adds to their appeal. Consumers want to be seen with these products, and there's a lot of positive word-of-mouth. Additionally, these brands are often good quality, which encourages repeat purchases. As people become more adventurous and willing to try new things, the availability of these brands has increased, making it easier for more people to experience them.

Creative Salon: What did Jeff Low bring to the shoot? Why did you choose him?

David Shirley: Jeff was key. He wanted a meticulous, beautifully crafted look. He also had the idea for that opening shot of the boat coming out of the water—something that would’ve been impossible to capture on a lake. He’s methodical and asks, “Is this cool? Have we seen it before?” His approach was like a flowchart, and that structure was amazing. He’s a creative force, but with an incredible level of rigour behind it. The music was a huge part of it, too... As soon as he heard it, we were all on board. It set the tone.

Creative Salon: Was the internal team on board with the idea from the start?

Sam Johnson: Yes, and that’s rare. We expected some pushback, but our CEO and the regional team saw the vision right away. It wasn’t hard to get everyone on the same page, which made the process smoother. Having that shared vision helped a lot.

Creative Salon: It's obviously too early to get campaign metrics in but what has been the response to the ad so far?

Sam Johnson: The general feedback that we've seen so far has been overwhelmingly positive, which, again, is obviously really pleasing. When you are doing something different, there's always that little bit of uncertainty about how it will land. So to see the reaction has been really encouraging.

I think the other thing is that you see all the positivity internally that creates excitement that it builds within our colleagues, which is also really important, because obviously they're the ones that are going out and selling, selling the brand to customers.