Carlsberg taps Chinese rapper to redefine festive storytelling

Carlsberg is marking the Lunar New Year with a special release of limited-edition packaging for the Year of the Horse, featuring themed bottles, cans, and packs. Designed for celebrations at home or on adventures with loved ones, the collectible items blend tradition with modern innovation.

Symbolsing energy, freedom, bravery, and good fortune, the horse takes centre stage in the design—shown riding high across the sky. Below, Carlsberg’s iconic Hop Leaf transforms into the shape of lucky clouds. Set against a deep green backdrop with accents of auspicious red and gold, the packaging conveys wishes for happiness and prosperity in the year ahead.

The artwork draws inspiration from the historic Gilding Lacquer art technique, a traditional craft used to adorn luxury items across Asia. In a fusion of past and present, the final design was realised using artificial intelligence, merging time‑honored artistry with cutting‑edge digital methods.

Carlsberg has also teamed up with Chinese rapper SKAI ISYOURGOD, to compose a Lunar New Year-inspired remix of his viral hit ‘Blueprint Supreme.’ Reimagined with festive, Carlsberg‑name-forward lyrics and an upbeat Lunar New Year attitude, the track takes center stage in our latest TV commercial—blending pop culture with the spirit of celebration to mark the arrival of the New Year. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Jeff Chong, director, international premium brands, Carlsberg Asia, said partnering with SKAI ISYOURGOD was a strategic choice to anchor the campaign in authentic, contemporary youth culture while harnessing a powerful narrative of aspiration.

"SKAI is not merely a popular artist; he is a cultural synthesiser whose music blends global hip-hop sounds with deep Cantonese roots, mirroring our own fusion of heritage and innovation. His viral track 'Blueprint supreme' already embodies the core Lunar New Year themes of success and ambition. By collaborating on an exclusive remix, we co-opted this existing cultural equity, seamlessly weaving Carlsberg into the festive soundscape with the hook '有嘉士伯樂'. This positioned the brand as a natural enabler of modern celebrations and prosperity for a key, digitally native demographic," he added.

Beyond narrative alignment, SKAI serves as the dynamic engine for our multi-platform ecosystem, he added. "His massive streaming footprint and credibility provide instant access and authenticity among young consumers."

Resonating with local audience

This campaign is designed to resonate across Asia by masterfully balancing universal Lunar New Year themes with hyper-localised cultural threads, he added. "The collaboration with SKAI ISYOURGOD is key: while he is a Cantonese artist, his themes of aspiration, success, and crafting one’s own blueprint are pan-Asian values, especially potent for younger generations. By using a regional Mandarin-Cantonese rap anthem as our sonic core, we create a contemporary, unifying festival soundtrack that feels both modern and authentically rooted in Asian youth culture, transcending any single market."

Furthermore, the campaign’s aesthetic intelligence—blending traditional lacquer art motifs with AI—visually mirrors Asia’s own journey of honoring heritage while racing toward the future, Chong added. "The luxurious, auspicious packaging directly taps into the region’s shared gift-giving and premium consumption rituals. Ultimately, we are not just selling beer; we are providing a cultural catalyst for celebration. By embedding Carlsberg into the music, visuals, and communal rituals of the season, the brand becomes a relevant and resonant part of how modern Asia celebrates its most important festival."

The campaign targets the culturally-connected, digitally-engaged generation that defines modern Asian pop culture. This audience seeks brands that are authentic innovators, blending heritage with contemporary expression, he said. "Our partnership with a breakthrough rapper, the AI-infused design, and the multi-platform ecosystem are crafted to resonate with their values, positioning Carlsberg as a culturally savvy badge of celebration rather than just a beverage."

Chong said, “At Carlsberg, we are committed to celebrating the moments that matter most to our customers. Lunar New Year is a regional story lived locally, and we are proud to once again bring a unifying brand experience to markets across Asia.”

“By partnering with SKAI ISYOURGOD – the most streamed Mandarin artist on Spotify in 2025 with over four million monthly listeners – we created a powerful creative platform that our markets can activate with speed and consistency. The partnership provides a unified sonic identity, modular edits and key visuals that each market can tailor to their own festive rituals while staying unmistakably Carlsberg. 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 covert festive attention into meaningful brand impact across every channel.”

Crystal Lee, marketing director, Carlsberg China says, “We spotted a unique opportunity with SKAI ISYOURGOD when we saw how strongly his music and personality resonate with younger consumers in China. His rise as one of the most-streamed Mandarin artists made him the perfect cultural bridge for Lunar New Year. 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.”

This is the sixth year Carlsberg has celebrated Lunar New Year. Since 2021, Carlsberg has consistently celebrated this occasion by releasing its Chinese zodiac limited edition packs, making every festive moment more meaningful. Carlsberg's Lunar New Year campaign has commenced in key markets across Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam since late December 2025. The campaign will also include various touchpoints to engage consumers and enhance the festive spirit, including activations on social media.

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