The Craft and the Graft
Hertog Jan Vatgerijpt – 2023
AB InBev, ‘Vatgerijpt’ 2023
Brand Strategy / Packaging Design / Activation / Content Creation
400
The number of second-use tequila, cachaça, rhum agricole and mescal barrels begged, borrowed and bought from Central and South American distillers
After six years, the release of Vatgerijpt is an eagerly anticipated annual event with its own ‘build-up’ campaign.
Our stories are underpinned by the types of spirit barrels used to age the Grand Prestige beer, as well as the geography and culture of the regions where the barrels are sourced.
But Vatgerijpt as a ‘brand’ has come to mean more than place and taste: It’s also a testament to the people who invest their time, craft, creativity and passion into the art of making.
Our packaging embodies this testament, so for 2023’s ‘South American Edition’ we were inspired by the unseen dimension of spirit (and beer) making – the sheer hard work, sweat and tears that go into the process.
With no shortage of demand for the limited production volume, the challenge is not about how much, or how quickly, Vatgerijpt sells.
Its job is to continue to demonstrate, year on year, the passion and pleasure that Hertog Jan’s brewers take from crafting such an exquisite, iconic beer, and sharing it with their followers.
In this process, we continue to see a remarkable ‘halo effect’ whereby the more everyday beers are viewed as more authentic and ‘honest’ than other brands, and hence more desirable.