Swedish Beer Brand Eriksberg Turns Classic 24-Pack into Advent Calendar

As brands continue to push increasingly elaborate – and often over-promising – advent calendars, Swedish beer brand Eriksberg has taken a radically different path. With creative agency BBDO Nordics, the brand is transforming its existing alcohol-free Christmas beer 24-pack (an ordinary case of beer) into an advent calendar.

The idea emerges in response to growing consumer frustration. A new Kantar Media study commissioned by Eriksberg, a Carlsberg-owned Swedish beer brand, shows that one in three Swedes (37%) has felt disappointed by the contents of an advent calendar. Despite the hype, consumers say what they actually want is transparency. Eriksberg’s response is an advent calendar with no surprises.

“We challenged ourselves to create an advent calendar by not building one,” said Isabelle de Susini, art director at BBDO Nordics. “By refusing to overpromise, we could make a statement about honesty, clarity and consumer respect. In a season defined by over-engineered calendars, the boldest move was to do absolutely nothing.”

A Quiet Rebellion Against Throwaway Calendar Culture

While many brands invest heavily in complex calendars packed with single-use materials and inflated price tags, Eriksberg took the sustainable counter-approach: release nothing new. Instead, the campaign repositions something already on the shelf – addressing both rising consumer skepticism and environmental concerns.

How the Eriksberg Advent Calendar works

• It is simply the classic 24-pack of alcohol-free Eriksberg Christmas beer
• Available in regular supermarkets throughout the season
• Each “window” contains the same beer
• Ideal for consumers tired of hype, gimmicks and inevitable disappointment

With its low-fi execution and high-level strategic clarity, the Eriksberg Advent Calendar stands as a reminder that sometimes the most disruptive idea is the one that deliberately refuses to chase attention. The 24-pack is left completely untouched. Same product. Same design. Simply reframed.