PROBABLY TEDX

TitlePROBABLY TEDX
BrandCARLSBERG GROUP
Product/ServiceBEER
Category A10. Excellence in Partnerships for Branded Content
Entrant HAPPINESS BRUSSELS, AN FCB ALLIANCE Brussels, BELGIUM
Idea Creation HAPPINESS BRUSSELS, AN FCB ALLIANCE Brussels, BELGIUM
Production NOBODY Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production 2 ARTOFFICIAL Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production 3 TGBVFX Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production 4 RGB Vilnius, LITHUANIA
Production 5 MDH HOLOGRAM London, UNITED KINGDOM
Additional Company STUDIO TARGRAM Mariano Comense, ITALY
Credits
Name Company Position
Jessica Spence Carlsberg Group SVP, Chief Commercial Officer
Russel Jones Carlsberg Group Vice President Core Beer Global
Rasmus Bendtsen Carlsberg Group International Marketing Manager Carlsberg
Thomas Lohren Busch Carlsberg Group Creative Advisor Consultant
Wouter De Groot Carlsberg Group Senior Manager Beer Image & Brand PR
Kasper Elbjørn Carlsberg Group Director, International and Danish Media
Anders Bering Carlsberg Group Vice President Corporate Affairs
Igor Nowé Carlsberg Importers Marketing Director
Morten Hertz Larsen Carlsberg Importers Marketing Manager
Paul Haelterman Carlsberg Importers CEO
Karen Corrigan Happiness / an FCB alliance Executive Creative Management
Geoffrey Hantson Happiness / an FCB alliance Chief Creative Officer
Kris Hoet Happiness / an FCB alliance Chief Innovation Officer
Pieter Claeys Happiness / an FCB alliance Concept Provider / Copywriter
Tadas Maksimovas Happiness / an FCB alliance Art Director
Barbara Dzikanowice Happiness / an FCB alliance Creative Content Director
Eline Goethals Happiness / an FCB alliance Strategic Planner / Connectivity Planner
Elke Janssens Happiness / an FCB alliance Global Account Director
Stefanie Drapier Happiness / an FCB alliance Account Manager
Matthias Yzebaert Happiness / an FCB alliance Graphic Designer
Frederik Draulans Happiness / an FCB alliance Graphic Designer
Remke Faber Happiness / an FCB alliance Motion Designer
Nick van Puyvelde Happiness / an FCB alliance Motion Designer
Bart Vande Maele Happiness / an FCB alliance Make it Happener
Jonathan Thake Happiness / an FCB alliance Speech Director
CC Clark FCB Global European Director of Communications & PR
Rune Milton Nobody CPH Director
Niels Kau Nobody CPH Executive Producer / Producer
Kasper Wind Nielsen Artofficial DOP
Freddie Smith Artofficial Editor

The Campaign

We got the founder of Carlsberg, J.C. Jacobsen, who died 130 years ago, officially selected by the curators of TEDx, to give a TEDx Talk in Copenhagen on August 23rd. The first posthumous TEDx Talk was titled “Why you should answer every question with probably.”

Creative Execution

For months, a team of speechwriters and biographers from the Carlsberg Foundation studied the rich documentation inside the Carlsberg archives. The aim was not only to be historically correct, but also to really grasp J.C. Jacobsen’s mind and write a truly inspiring Talk. Relevant for today. But in sync with 1883. Jacobsen took the stage via a live hologram and interacted with the crowd. The TEDx Talk was announced via an online film, filled with real events from Jacobsen’s past, giving depth to his rich history. Through numerous events and live streaming, Jacobsen’s Talk was seen by the 41.000 Carlsberg employees globally. The 17-minute TEDx Talk was also hosted on YouTube Live, for the world to enjoy. Afterwards, the speech was split into 9 snackable content films of 1 minute each, which will be at the centre of a full year inspirational content campaign surrounding J.C. Jacobsen’s personality.

The TEDx event on August 23rd in Copenhagen sold out. After just 24h it became the most viewed Talk on the TEDx Copenhagen platform. The J.C. Jacobsen TEDx Talk and campaign were and still are being talked about in all media, on a global scale: 17 minutes of content already reached over 3 million people. It was praised especially for not being just an empty stunt TEDx Talk, but a truly inspiring one, worthy of a 19th century Steve Jobs.

The first posthumous TEDx Talk by J.C. Jacobsen is an inspiring and hugely engaging way of turning heritage into 17 live minutes of content. Enabling a 170 year old brand to pass on its 170-years-old philosophy with its audience. Turning it into culture, while remaining in sync with 1883.

Heritage campaigns always look back in nostalgia. For Carlsberg however, we wanted to use its heritage to make people look forward, by giving them something relevant for today. And as an innovative mind is timeless, we did the unimaginable: we got J.C. Jacobsen, the Steve Jobs or Elon Musk of his time, officially selected by the curators of TEDx, to deliver a TEDx Talk on the value of uncertainty, in business and in life.