THE GOLDEN GIFT

Business Challenge:

Pilsner Urquell is the original pilsner, born in Plzeň in 1842 when brewer Josef Groll used local ingredients to create the world’s first golden, bottom-fermented lager. This golden gift to the world became the blueprint for all pale lagers since, and has been brewed the same way, with the same ingredients, in the same place, for nearly two centuries.

Christmas is a key occasion for the Pilsner Urquell brand - an opportunity to showcase the brand’s premium credentials, calling for a limited edition design and special formats that would give consumers a reason to indulge themselves, or gift something special to a loved one.

Creative Solution:

Inspired by Pilsner Urquell’s new core creative idea ‘The Art of Not Changing’ which celebrates its consistency over time, we created a pack that would celebrate the everlasting truths of the brand.

The first pub in the world to serve the new pilsner style beer was the U Salzmannů in Plzeň so we made that our setting, transforming the box into a building with recognisable window shapes and architectural details picked out in a gold keyline.

In the upstairs windows we brought the brand’s unique stories to life, from the golden gates of the brewery within a snowglobe to the ‘three pours’ with their different levels of foam. And a special place for the brewmaster checking the clarity of the golden beer by candlelight – a practice that still happens in the cellars of the brewery today.

Downstairs we captured the result of all this care and consistency over the years – a spectacular golden lager that can bring people together, especially at Christmas.

Designed with modularity in mind, the core pack was adapted across multiple formats and gifting packs to bring the feeling of a Czech Christmas village to the supermarket shelves. And with gold foils and varnishes delivering premium finishing touches, the final pack is worthy of Plzeň’s golden gift to the world.