Carlsberg Nice One Launch @ Zeta Bar

By Ben Liew  •  21 Apr 2009 in Reports

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For most of us working class folk, there’s nothing like the rewarding taste of cold beer to cap off a hard day at the office. However, there are those pesky obstacles that keep us away from our well deserved time-outs. Speaking to the working man and woman is Carlsberg’s “Nice One” movement, which kicks off in mid April. Like a madman, JUICE was there last night at the inaugural launch at Zeta Bar, scouting the scene for the meaning behind this “Nice One” phrase.

Even before we arrived, we had already encountered those aforementioned “barriers” in the form of our usual deadlines and a much delayed LRT train. Of course, being the professionals that we are, that didn’t stop us from getting-with-the-merry at Zeta Bar.

After a brief stand-up by blue-collar comedian Harith Iskander (who did a brilliant interpretation of Hindi movie culture), Carlsberg Malaysia Managing Director Soren Holm Jensen filled us in on what Nice One represents. “The campaign celebrates the witty stories both men and women create to get their invaluable moments with friends over a nice cold Carlsberg. Carlsberg drinkers know how to stay one step ahead and get the most out of life. They always find smart witty stories to tell to ensure they get, prolong and recall the enjoyment of their beer time,” said Jensen.

Ah yes, even JUICE concocts those witty stories every now and then, like the time we claimed to be half-Dayak to get off on Gawai Day. And though Carlsberg recognises the need for balance between responsibilities and playtime, Jensen revealed, “From our consumer research, we found that our beer is so good that our drinkers often create little stories to get to their Carlsberg beer. And this new campaign celebrates their stories, with a “Nice One” tagline.”

A prime example of Carlsberg’s idea of wittiness was reflected in one of their ads which said: “Sorry boss, need more time. Still working on the draft“. So instead of a mysterious Bond type, the poster boy for this campaign is the common man, with run-of-the-mill job and pedestrian concerns. Thus, our Average Joe gets his day as his witty stories symbolise the camaraderie of his friends and colleagues. By throwing the spotlight on the average drinker, Carlsberg shows us that normal people have exciting lives and great stories to share too.

And just like our working class brethren, JUICE had a few stories of our own to tell, like the one about the writer who downed 6 bottles of Carlsberg and couldn’t come up with a witty-enough ending for this piece – but did anyway. Nice One!

Carlsberg gave us a Nice One on Tuesday 14 April 2009 at Zeta Bar. Lots of Nice Ones in our gallery. Keep the stories coming!