Amstel Honours Valencian Neighbourhoods with Illustrated Beer Labels

Amstel and Serviceplan Spain have commissioned contemporary Spanish artists and designers to create unique labels for the Valencian beer. A total of 6 million bottles with the specially designed artist labels were distributed throughout the region. 

The campaign title, ‘Xè quin barri!’ (‘Wow, what a place!’) alludes to one of the most characteristic Valencia sayings which can express emotion, joy and surprise. 19 artists based in Valencia created bespoke illustrations representing each of the 19 neighbourhoods of the city, each of them designing a label for the city they are linked to. 

Valencia’s districts are the main feature on the Amstel Original bottles created specially for the ‘Amstel Xè quin barri’ campaign, which encourages people to ‘drink their neighbourhood’. The Valencia-made beer bottles show 19 illustrations created by local artists on the labels, reflecting each distinctive area of the city. The creative agency for the campaign was Serviceplan Spain. The campaign name ‘Xè quin barri!’ alludes to one of the most characteristic Valencian sayings, which can express emotion, joy and surprise. 

Amstel Art at Veles e Vents, a cultural space at Valencia’s Marina, was chosen to host an exhibition featuring the artist-design labels: Amstel Xè Quin Barri is on display until the 31st December. This space, driven by Amstel, has become an important cultural exhibition space in the city and is a symbol of the new Valencia, driven by and for young talents. 

The featured artists and their respective Valencia regions depicted on the special Amstel labels are; Virginia Lorente - El Carmen; Jorge Lawerts - Ruzafa; Grace Garcia – Extramurs; Joan Quirós – Campanar; Miriam Ferrer - La Saïdia; La grúa studio – Mestalla; Luis Armand - L ́Olivereta; Belén Segarra – Patraix; Miedo 12 – Jesús; Amalia Torres - Cuatro Carrereres; Lalalimona - Camins al Grau; Deveses Graphic – Algirós; Inma Carpena – Benimaclet; Luis Demano – Rascanya; Espinca Explosiva – Benicalap; Mikko – Poblados del Norte; Mental INK – Poblados del Oeste; and Ibán Ramón – Poblados del Sur. 

As part of the campaign, Valencians voted for their favourite district and label, with the winning label receiving a special prize; a huge celebration for all those in the neighbourhood which will be shared with the entire city. 

This original campaign aims to demonstrate the strong link between the brand, the only beer made in the city of Valencia, and important regional events and celebrations like Fallas and Hogueras. With Valencia as the World Design Capital 2022 on the horizon, the 19 ‘Amstel Xè quin barri’ labels were designed by 19 Valencia artists and illustrators, each of whom have captured their neighbourhood perfectly; its style, its feel and of course, those who make it unique; portraying their soul, their home and their creativity.

 

Amstel Xè quin barri! (Wow, what a place!) is an initiative that Amstel, with the help of Serviceplan Spain, has launched in order to honour each of Valencia’s districts; hubs of growth, generators of talent and enablers of collaborations. The brand wants to value the neighbourhoods, and the sense of pride and belonging they radiate, what makes them unique, the story behind their growth, but also the individual stories that have contributed towards their improvement. 

Local links have been sought after at all points in the campaign - for example the collaboration of Valencia influencers who have a large number of followers from the city and high local engagement - in order to maximise voting. 

The campaign also aimed to directly involve locals, who, via a website created especially for the campaign, were able to vote for their favourite label. There were more than 20,600 visits to the website, and Benimaclet was the most voted neighbourhood in the city, whose win will be rewarded with a huge celebration for the neighbourhood, to which all the city’s inhabitants and visitors will be invited. Five special edition collectable packs containing 19 illustrated Amstel bottles were given away to voters. 

Serviceplan Spain came up with a 360o campaign comprised of communication in mainstream media (radio, press and outdoor advertising on digital screens in the city’s commercial areas), sectoral media and social media. Another fundamental part of the communication plan was the campaign’s activation in the Horeca sector. For this, election- style posters were created and placed in bars and establishments, which are clients of Amstel, prompting people to vote for the different areas in the city. 

And as a culmination of the campaign, a video concept was created which summarises the essence of Valencia, of its neighbourhoods and streets, which moves away from the touristic concept of the city by showing streets, parks and places that only those who live in Valencia are able to recognise. Showing the real Valencia, the traditional Valencia that thousands of inhabitants enjoy.