Carlsberg marks Year of the Horse with festive packaging and music

Carlsberg Asia is celebrating the Year of the Horse with limited edition bottles, cans, and packs designed for home enjoyment or social occasions.

The packaging incorporates motifs of energy, freedom, bravery, and good fortune, with the Horse depicted riding above the sky beneath Carlsberg’s Hop Leaf, transformed into lucky cloud shapes. A dark green background is accented with red and gold, symbolic of happiness and wealth.

The design draws inspiration from the historic Gilding Lacquer Art Technique, traditionally used on luxury items, and was refined with artificial intelligence to merge traditional and modern aesthetics.

Festive music collaboration boosts campaign

Carlsberg has partnered with Chinese rapper SKAI ISYOURGOD to create a Lunar New Year remix of his viral hit “Blueprint Supreme.” The track features Carlsberg-forward lyrics and will lead the brand’s latest TV commercial, connecting pop culture with festive celebration.

Crystal Li, Marketing Director, Carlsberg China: "We spotted a unique opportunity with SKAI ISYOURGOD when we saw how strongly his music and personality resonate with younger consumers in China. By anchoring our campaign to his viral track and transforming it into a Carlsberg-name-forward remix, we created a youth-centric ecosystem that feels natural to how they consume culture today."

Jeff Chong, Director, International Premium Brands, Asia: "By partnering with SKAI ISYOURGOD – the most streamed Chinese language artist on Spotify in 2025 with over 4 million monthly listeners – we created a powerful creative platform that our markets can activate with speed and consistency. The result is a modern, cohesive Lunar New Year expression that travels seamlessly across Asia, flexible for local nuance, strong for regional scale, and designed to convert festive attention into meaningful brand impact across every channel."

Sixth consecutive Lunar New Year campaign

This is the sixth consecutive year Carlsberg has released Chinese zodiac-inspired packs for Lunar New Year. The limited edition items will be available at retailers in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam through February 2026. The campaign will also engage consumers across social media and other touchpoints, supporting the Carlsberg Group’s broader premium brand growth in Asia.