This spot begins in a self-deprecating way, with Mikkelsen steering a rowboat towards the shore on a dark and foggy lake. He talks about the failings that Carlsberg has had in the past, and hints at what happened to the person responsible for the old beer in the UK – as we see air bubbles rising from the bottom of the lake, suggesting he may have been put to rest there. He then assures the viewer of the improvement of the beer since those dark times.

 

Creative Director, 2D Lead Artist and Shoot Supervisor Greg Spencer explains ‘Working closely with Nicolai and Fold 7 we came up with a plan to replace all of the skies and add in CGI mist to really craft the environment for our story telling purposes. Due to unforeseen weather on the day of the shoot, we never quite got the skies we wanted as there was a heavy wind. It literally blew away all the on-set fog we had and made us feel as though we were experiencing four seasons in one day. As a result when it came to edit all the footage together we ended up with a very uneven spot, and had to make it all work seamlessly together in post.The brief was to develop the feeling of a new dawn happening over time. So from the beginning of the spot we begin in a much foggier and foreboding environment, and by the end the skies have cleared and become bluer. From then on in it was just about crafting the density and mood with various degrees of clouds and fog throughout. We also added element crows and some CGI birds at the beginning of the spot for that extra bit of foreboding atmosphere.

The final result came together really well, giving the whole spot a beautiful but surreal mood. The beginning has a feeling of fearful apprehension that gives way to the promise of a fresh start by the end.’