Carlsberg's Goal Posters Turn City Walls into Kickabout Pitches

Carlsberg has launched a tongue-in-cheek response to the summer’s major football campaigns, and it’s designed to remove the barriers that stand in the way of just picking up a ball and playing the beautiful game.

As part of a series of summer activations that sees the return of the iconic 'If Carlsberg did...' line, Carlsberg has installed ‘Goal Posters’ on walls in key cities, turning outdoor ads into opportunities for people to play the game. Because if Carlsberg did football ads, they wouldn’t use high-profile, high-cost talent, they’d simply give the game back to the fans.

The campaign, created by Fold7, is the most recent of the brands activations helping fans access the best parts of football. As part of its five-year UEFA National Team Football partnership, whilst most other brands spend their money on big name talent and high-production adverts, Carlsberg is instead investing in giving football fans more access to the beautiful game.

With research revealing that one-third of adults admit that they’ve not had a kickabout in over six months, compared to the whopping 75% who intend to watch a game this summer, Carlsberg wanted to bring the joy of playing football back.

Hidden in plain sight, the 'Goal Posters' turn urban spaces into the perfect space for a friendly kickabout. Each poster is simple: a classic white outlined goal post on a Carlsberg green background – demonstrating that the joy of playing football can be achieved anywhere. The public have been encouraged down to play via PR and content creators, who have hosted kickabouts in front of the posters.

The campaign has culminated in content for social and VOD that not just shows off the 'Goal Posters' but highlights the play they encouraged.

The film contrasts urban spaces unwelcoming to casual football with the excitement of a summer of the game. Then a green poster is pasted up, revealed as a goal carrying the line 'If Carlsberg did football ads…,' and an impromptu kickabout springs to life. It closes on 'Goal Posters' being enjoyed across cities, turning overlooked spaces into places to play.

Creators within the football space will be utilised as part of the campaign to drive awareness, while earned coverage will encourage talkability and further editorial reach.

The campaign is the most recent of the brands activations helping fans access the best parts of football. As part of its five-year UEFA National Team Football partnership, whilst most other brands spend their money on big name talent and high-production adverts, Carlsberg is instead investing in giving football fans more access to the beautiful game.

The work marks the return of Carlsberg’s iconic 'If Carlsberg Did…' line, which has historically always been shorthand for 'the best', but its return marks a reimagining. Under Carlsberg's mission to give more people access to more of the best, its new guise is about spotting the barriers between people and the best experiences and answering them with entertaining solutions.

Two more UK-based campaigns for Carlsberg will follow 'Goal Posters' over the summer, with the objective of driving brand awareness and consideration over the period.

Lynsey Woods, Carlsberg’s global brand director, says, “Football can sometimes feel like something to admire from a distance. If Carlsberg did football ads, we’d bring it back within reach. That’s why we’ve focused on creating more opportunities for people to play the game themselves and rediscover the simple joy that made them fall in love with football in the first place: a kickabout with friends.”

The first sets of 'Goal Posters' can be found at Sutton Walk and Shoreditch Tunnels (London) and Bridge Street (Manchester) with further activations planned to go live to continue to encourage people to play.