Beer52 is a craft beer club specialising in delivering hand-selected, small-batch brews directly to customers. With both subscription boxes and a vast range of individual beers for customers to choose from, the business has quickly grown into one of the ‘go-to’ brands for craft beers in the UK.
One of the brand's most popular offerings is its craft beer advent calendar, which gives customers 24 exciting and unique craft beers to try in the lead-up to Christmas. With 10 styles of beer from seven countries, Beer52’s advent calendar is always a firm favourite with its growing customer base.
Smurfit Westrock had previously worked with Beer52 on their advent calendars, so the team ‘hopped’ to it when asked to help again this year.
Beer52’s hunt for a bold and brew-tiful advent calendar
Beer52 turned to our team at Smurfit Westrock Tannochside with a request for this year’s beer bespoke advent calendar to truly deliver the 'wow' factor, driving both brand awareness and seasonal sales. As a dynamic and creative brand, Beer52 wanted its advent calendar to reflect its unique personality while staying true to their green goals.
The brief was to create a sustainable custom design with minimal components yet still packed with festive excitement and a nod to Beer52's distinct identity. Our team were eager to rise to the challenge.
Beer advent calendar packaging design
This year marks Beer52’s eighth advent calendar, and, once again, they’ve pushed the boundaries by breaking away from the usual Christmas colour palette. Bold splashes of vibrant yellow and pink take centre stage, designed to disrupt the norm, turn heads, and make a lasting impression.
With packaging having less than two seconds to capture shoppers’ attention (Explorer Research), these striking colours not only elevate the premium feel of the advent calendar but also help Beer52 stand out from competitors.
Advent calendar packaging that’s scaleable and supply-chain friendly
Building on the same design the team at Smurfit Westrock Tannochside tried and tested last year, they created a three-piece beer advent calendar with the ‘wow’ factor. They prioritised the speed and ease of assembly, as the calendars needed to be constructed and packed quickly.
Designed with the challenges of navigating the supply chain in mind, the advent calendar packaging needed to be durable enough to arrive in perfect condition, maintaining both its quality and eye-catching appearance.
Building on the success of last year’s design, the team scaled up production to more than three times the previous volume, which introduced logistical challenges due to the number of pallets; Beer52 needed over 200 in total. Smurfit Westrock stepped in, storing the calendars and delivering them to the customer on demand, ensuring a seamless operation.
Iain Dawson, Smurfit Westrock’s Beer52 Account Manager, reflects: “We always rise to the challenges that Beer52 brings to our design team and deliver high-quality printed packaging. This year's challenge was being able to do it on a larger scale, and we’re extremely happy with how it all turned out.”
Beer advent packaging that taps into seasonal sales
As a trusted advent calendar packaging manufacturer, Smurfit Westrock have been on hand to support Beer52’s seasonal packaging needs, helping the brand stand out in the crowded craft beer market. This year’s beer advent calendar was no exception, with bold, eye-catching colours and a streamlined design that reflects Beer52’s quirky brand.
With the team's expertise, they scaled up production to meet growing demand, ensuring the beer packaging was not only visually impactful but also supply-chain friendly.
From initial design to final delivery, Smurfit Westrock are committed to helping our customers ramp up for seasonal success with reliable, sustainable packaging solutions.
James Taylor, Beer52 CMO, said, “We were over the moon when Smurfit Westrock took on our 2024 Beer52 Advent Calendar. Having previously worked with them last year on our 2023 calendar, we knew we were in safe hands. This year's calendar looks incredible, and we are extremely excited to share it with our craft beer community. Last year's calendar was a sold-out success, and we expect this year will be no exception.”
If you’re looking to boost sales at the most wonderful time of the year, get in touch with our packaging experts today.