FINNISH COMMS AWARDS

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FINNISH COMMS AWARDS /

How a blue bottle became the
best-selling specialty beer
in Finland

Scope

Concept development
Events
Product seedings
Strategic planning
Social media
Media communications

Client

1664

How do you reach a demanding, highly discerning trendsetter audience and get them interested in beer?

We identified a gap within the creative industries and built a strategy for 1664 Blanc based on persistence, PR, and a series of events. Over the course of a year, we embedded the iconic blue bottle into the most important community moments from Copenhagen to Kattilahalli.

As a result, 1664’s sales grew by 30% in one year, and brand awareness increased by 10 percentage points. At the same time, 1664 became the best-selling specialty beer in Finland.

A young woman with turquoise skin and dark hair, illuminated in red, wearing a pink sports jersey with black numbers and a red ribbon with the number 1604 around her neck.
Group of people gathered outdoors in a city setting on a sunny day, some wearing casual clothing and hats, with trees and buildings in the background.
Black and white logo with laurel wreath and the text 'Finnish Communist Wards' and 'Winner'.

APPROACH

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APPROACH /

Background

Competition in the beer market is intense. Dozens of beer brands are sold in Finland, broadly divided into three categories: lagers, specialty beers, and non-alcoholic beers. Around 90% of beer consumed in Finland is lager, while wheat beer accounts for only 2–3%.

The French specialty beer 1664 faced several challenges: low awareness and small market share, a limited product portfolio, weak availability outside the capital region and positioning within a fragmented specialty beer category.

At the same time, the brand had strong assets: its iconic blue bottle, growing consumer demand and fresh wheat beer profile, clearly different from traditional lagers.

Our analysis showed it could appeal even to people who don’t drink beer. They just needed to choose the blue bottle over alternatives like cocktails, sparkling wine, long drinks, or cider.

Strategic Insight

1664 is a French brand, and France is synonymous with fashion. Choosing creative communities as the target audience was a natural fit, especially since no other beer brand in Finland had focused on them.

While this audience is relatively niche in Finland, they act as trendsetters for the wider public. The challenge was how to make them interested in beer, especially given strict alcohol advertising regulations.

A black item of clothing with a decorative black and white belt and a silver pin featuring the number '1644' inside a stylized heart shape.

Objectives

Sinebrychoff aimed to significantly increase awareness, sales, and market share of 1664 in Finland, and levate its status within the premium specialty beer category.

Creative Idea

We focused on increasing visibility and premium perception by tapping into creative communities. Instead of individuals, we built a strategy around communities, powered by persistence and a continuous stream of events. For a full year, we integrated the blue bottle into the most important gatherings of creative communities from Copenhagen to Kattilahalli.

Our goal was simple: bring the iconic blue bottle wherever creative communities meet and quite literally paint the city blue.

We created the umbrella concept 1664 Community Creators, targeting creative communities through multiple channels. The idea was to get 1664 into the hands of the right people allowing visibility to “spill over” beyond the core audience.

By consistently placing the blue bottle in the right contexts, we created the illusion that 1664 was present everywhere something relevant was happening in Finland’s fashion and design scene positioning it as the “it beer.”

The crown jewel of the concept was the AW1664 collaboration collection, created together with Finnish fashion brand VAIN. Launched in October 2024, the collection gained outstanding reception. A launch event at Kattilahalli, organized with Vogue Scandinavia, along with product seeding and activations, ensured it reached exactly the right audience.

Momentum continued into 2025:
- through the 1664 Hotline, drinks were delivered to 93 events
- the blue bottle appeared at all major fashion events in Finland
- a dedicated “beer fairy” ensured supply across events
- each event generated content, continuously shared on 1664’s Instagram to build brand image

Additional activations included events in the on-trade channel and collaborations such as the launch of 1664 Rosé and joint events with Way Bakery and Pidot Production.

1664 x VAIN

A marble tabletop with a half-empty beer bottle on a coaster, an empty tall glass on a coaster, a white cup with a saucer, and a small plate with a half-eaten pie.
Young woman with long black hair and freckles wearing a white shirt with black text, a red medal ribbon, and a silver Olympic medal around her neck, standing indoors near a window.
Portrait of a young person with wavy, orange hair wearing a black leather jacket and a white shirt, with large black earrings and standing in front of a plain background. The person has a side profile view with minimal lighting.
A young man wearing a black cap, black jacket, and black gloves stands outdoors near a white brick wall and some plants. There are chairs and bottles on the table in front of him.
Three people sitting at a table in a dimly lit, blue-lit room, with two bottles of beer on the table, others seated at tables in the background.
Two women at a dark event, each holding a beer bottle, one wearing glasses and a black blazer, the other wearing a beanie and lace top.
Broken blue and white can on a dirty concrete floor with scattered pieces of torn metal and liquid stains.

1664 x Bistro Bardot

Person wearing a black blazer, black top, and sheer black glove holding a glass bottle of a beverage, with a white piece of cloth tied around their neck.
Reflection of a social gathering around a table with bottles, glasses, and a person using a smartphone, captured through a reflective surface.
Two men are sitting at a table outside a restaurant, engaged in conversation. They each have three blue bottles and a small gold container on the table. The man on the left is wearing a green T-shirt, a beige cap, and sunglasses, while the man on the
A young woman is standing on a city sidewalk, posing for a photo being taken by another person. She has long, wavy brown hair, is wearing a white crop top, transparent pants with a design underneath, and is holding a bottled beverage in her right han

1664 x Aalto Fashion

A woman with red hair and sunglasses holding two beer bottles, smiling. Another woman with long blonde hair, wearing a black jacket, is touching the other woman's shoulder. They are at a social gathering or party.
Bottles of Bud Light beer in an ice-filled container with ice cubes on top.
A display of bottles with bottle-shaped labels, arranged on a black table with a large '1604' logo on the side, surrounded by mannequins dressed in sheer, revealing clothing.

1664 x Helsinki Fashion Week

Person wearing a red sports jacket with a blue tag reading '1664 HOTLINE' sitting on a seat, with two other people nearby. Shoes and shopping bags are visible on the ground.
Two men standing in a dark, industrial setting, each holding a beer bottle. The man on the left wears a black button-up shirt and gray pants, with a blazer over his arm. The man on the right wears sunglasses, a dark jacket, a yellow shirt, ripped sho
Blue glass bottles with pink and white labels are placed on a surface inside a large industrial building with scaffolding, machinery, and construction equipment, including a large overhead crane, with sunlight streaming through openings.

1664 x KOE24

Row of beer bottles inside a refrigerator with a blurred motion effect.
A person wearing multiple rings is holding a black bottle cap near a table with five bottles of beer arranged on it, with other people sitting in the background.
A woman with blonde hair, wearing glasses and a black and red dress, standing behind a table with beer bottles, in a room with light streaks due to motion blur.

1664 x Way Bakery

A young man wearing a green cap and headphones is DJing with a turntable and mixer at an outdoor event. Behind him, there is a colorful sign with drawings of bottles, jars, and animals, and handwritten text advertising a bakery and afterparty.
A tabletop scene showing a handmade poster with colorful drawings and text that reads 'KARASUPA + uplifting'; a person in black clothing holding a paper; a wooden table with a bottle of Asian sparkling water, and a notebook or pamphlet; two people st
People gather outside a building with red and white striped awnings, socializing, drinking, and chatting. One person is sitting in a chair in the foreground, wearing a light-colored hat.
A bakery counter with various baked goods and bottles, with a woman in a green dress on the left side. There is a poster on the wall behind the counter that reads 'Karhupuisto afterparty at way bakery' with colorful illustrations of a bear, a beer, a

1664 x Pidot

A DJ wearing headphones and sunglasses is drinking from a green bottle while standing behind a DJ setup at an outdoor venue, with a striped umbrella overhead and a man with tattoos and a cap in the background.
Man wearing sunglasses holding a colorful, handmade dragonfly kite at an outdoor event with trees and people in the background.
Woman selling handmade pottery at an outdoor market, standing behind a table filled with ceramic bowls and cups, smiling with sunglasses, in a park with trees and buildings in the background.
People sitting around a table with bottles of rosé beer, a wine glass, and snacks while one person uses a smartphone.
A crowd of people gathered outdoors on a sunny day, with some wearing sunglasses, hats, and casual clothing, engaging in conversations or waiting in line.
A musician performing at an outdoor event, seated at a drum set and surrounded by electronic equipment, with a neon sign displaying the number 1664. The background features posters and a street scene with buildings and electric scooters.
A person holding a glass bottle of beer with a green tint, wearing an orange shirt.
Music equipment setup on wooden floor including a drum pedal, a shaker, a bottle of beer, electronic music controller, and cables, with cardboard boxes and other gear in the background.
A close-up of a kitchen or dining table with sliced cherries on a green cutting board, a glass jar of water, a partially visible wine glass, a blue bag of chips, and some orange slices. Sunlight creates a warm, soft glow with bokeh effects in the bac
A small tan and white dog wearing a harness, sitting indoors, with people and objects blurred in the background.
People sitting outdoors at a sunny event, with a view through a blurry, circular frame in the foreground, featuring a woman in a floral dress and others engaged in conversation.

Results

By 2024, 1664 had already become highly visible within the target audience and a topic of conversation. The AW1664 collection was praised as one of the most impactful collaborations in Finland.

In 2025, long-term consistency paid off:

15,000 bottles distributed to 93 events via the 1664 Hotline

More importantly, the impact on business and brand perception was significant:

Became the #1 best-selling specialty beer in Finland

Evolved into a mainstream premium beer brand

Brand awareness increased by 10%

Ranked #1 specialty beer brand by value perception

Ranked #1 premium beer brand in quality perception (up from #3 the previous year)

1664 sales grew +30%, and non-alcoholic 1664 grew +25.5%.

These results are particularly notable given that overall beer sales were declining,
including a 7% drop in non-alcoholic beer sales.

“ We wanted to increase 1664’s sales and awareness in Finland while transforming its brand image and elevating its position in the premium beer category. The agency presented a long-term plan that truly surprised us. ‘Painting the city blue’ was a brilliant idea, as it was choosing a target audience no one else had tapped into.

The strategy combined simplicity, creativity, and effectiveness. The audience was demanding, but the agency knew how to make 1664 appealing to them. A key factor was bringing together 1664 and the VAIN brand. The collaboration collection reinforced the premium positioning and ultimately won over the hearts of our target audience.”

– Sofie Fuchs, Brand Manager, Sinebrychoff

“We are extremely happy with the outcome of this collaboration. We were given creative freedom to design the collection and build a world around it. The agency was an excellent partner, ensuring both brands remained aligned and were represented respectfully which is essential in premium collaborations.

Our goal was to tap into culture and create a collection that resonates with Helsinki’s fashion scene and we succeeded perfectly. The entire process was smooth, and we had a lot of fun along the way.”

– Jimi Vain, Creative Director, VAIN