It’s not easy in a covid world, but BrewDog is aiming to keep the magic of Christmas alive with the launch of its new Advent calendar.
By responding to new online demand patterns, the company is producing its beloved advent calendars on a much larger scale than ever before, due to the fast growth of its e-commerce channel in recent months.
The calendar is sold exclusively on the BrewDog website and contains 24 beer cans spanning the brewer’s whole range, including: 15 new beers launched this year, six online exclusive beers, and two Advent exclusive beers. Consumers can sneak a look at what is inside the calendar and purchase online here.
With the pre-sale of the Advent calendars having already begun, with delivery commencing in late October, BrewDog enlisted the support of packaging giant DS Smith and market leader Glenhaze, to facilitate e-commerce success in the most sustainable way possible.
To ensure 1.5 million cans of beer and over 66,000 calendars can be shipped worldwide, DS Smith collaborated with high-value protective packaging manufacturer Glenhaze, to develop a high-quality, robust solution for consumer purchase.
From the outset of the design process, all three companies worked together to ensure that the beer cans placed in the calendar were secure enough to avoid being damaged in transit. Four initial design options were whittled down to two which were then selected by BrewDog to be tested. These samples were tested at BrewDog HQ, in Ellon, where DS Smith and Glenhaze provided videos on product creation to facilitate the testing process.
‘A sustainable calendar solution that spreads our message of being carbon negative loud and clear’
Glenhaze, an accredited BrewDog supplier, was pivotal in providing 24 fully assembled cell divisions that would hold the weight of 24 cans horizontally, without collapsing, so that the product can arrive in pristine condition at the consumer door.
The DS Smith team also worked to ensure exceptionally high standards of functionality and practicality so that the calendar remains straight and even, in the lead-up to Christmas day. As part of the solution, DS Smith has worked to design the exterior of the calendar, using its award-winning printing capabilities to produce bold visuals and key messages that highlight BrewDog’s commitment to being Carbon Negative, the first brewers to do so.
The solution involved working closely with DS Smith designers to keep in line with the circular design principles, including a limit to any additional materials being used in the packaging and a design that is tailored for supply cycle efficiency. In tandem, the partnership benefited from Glenhaze’s expertise and its long-standing accreditation history of environmental standards, being one of the first responsible suppliers in the industry to only use FSC materials.
Lauren Carrol, group CI manager at BrewDog, said: “We’re excited to be able to offer this exclusive advent calendar and continue to further our success in the online realm.
“Through exceptional printing capabilities and DS Smith’s ongoing reliability and consistency in producing high-quality products, and Glenhaze’s continual support on meeting environmental standards, we have been able to go to market with a sustainable calendar solution that spreads our message of being carbon negative loud and clear.”
