Kopparberg Takes the Plunge into Hard Seltzer with Latest Range

Swedish drinks giant Kopparberg continues expanding its portfolio in 2020 by introducing a new range of Hard Seltzer drinks to the UK market, with packaging and brand design led by London creative shop 20something.

The new product sees Kopparberg diversify further from its core cider range, having launched a Premium Pink Gin in 2019 to an overwhelmingly positive public reception.

Hard Seltzer, a category more familiar to the North American market, is an alcohol infused sparkling water, blended with natural flavours; as a result, each 330ml can contains only 93 calories, is gluten free and suitable for vegans.  

The new packaging and design world have been developed to reflect the refreshing lightness of seltzers, whilst not losing the intensity of fruit flavour that people expect from Kopparberg.

Samuel Guillotel, head of design at 20something said: “As the broader Kopparberg portfolio diversifies and new audiences open up, the role of design must also push on. The biggest challenge has been to develop a brand world for Kopparberg Hard Seltzer that is as disruptive as the product itself but doesn’t feel out of place in the broader Kopparberg product family. Beyond that, there’s a spirit and an energy to this drink that feels as game-changing as Kopparberg fruit cider landing in Shoreditch bars and summer festivals in 2003. Our job has been to capture that excitement for a new generation, whilst being respectful to where it all began”.

Iridescent graphic bubbles are inspired by the sparkling water at the product’s core. Bold, colourful type represents the full fruit flavour audiences won’t be used to from a seltzer. Far from seeing product proof points apologetically tucked away by the designers, or heavy-handedly added as an after-thought, background patterns and textures embrace the most important USPs of this new drink.

Kopparberg’s distinctive black and gold stamp is in there, but there is an energy and playfulness to this product design that reflects a new generation’s attitudes to alcohol. The general design treatment intentionally leans towards the kind of brand worlds Gen Z are inhabiting. Hyper-real textures collided with graphic effects, step-repeated type and quick cuts in the AV edits all give this design world a reassuring familiarity to an audience that wants something new when it comes to drinking socially.

Rob Salvesen, head of marketing at Cider of Sweden Ltd. said: “Our mission is to redefine the Hard Seltzer category by putting flavour front and centre, do that it was imperative that the design concept reflected this. Hard Seltzers are already the youth generation’s drink of choice in the states and we wanted to make sure Kopparberg lends its big-brand credentials and flavour expertise to the category as Hard Seltzers land on our shores. Wherever we are this summer, Kopparberg Hard Seltzer is here to offer up something different, and, true to our brand values, there is no subtlety and absolutely no compromise on taste.”​

Andrew Barnard, managing partner at 20something said: “2020 will go down as an extremely anomalous year for the drinks industry. Perhaps more than ever, there’s a need for something new and exciting. An unsurprisingly, Kopparberg has stepped up with Kopparberg Hard Seltzer. If we can’t spend the summer outside with each other as we’d like, at least we have something to keep things interesting in the garden”.

Kopparberg Hard Seltzer is set to launch in May 2020, with work running in ATL and on social channels throughout the summer.