Wasted Potential Beers
City of Lahti
Issue 60 | September 2021
Agency
TBWA\Helsinki
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer Jyrki Poutanen Senior Creative Maria Kuorikoski Art Director Jenni Mällinen Junior AD Mattea Näveri Graphic Designer Tommi Selander
Production Team
Account Manager Maija Naumanen Account Director Ella Komulainen Creative Content Strategist Tuomas Karvonen Communications and PR specialist Saana Simander Junior Communications Specialist Ellen Lindbom, Sara Pitzén Communications Trainee Emmi Paajanen
Other Credits
Head of Communications Saara Piispanen Visual Communicator Toivo Heinimäki Communications and Marketing Planner Maria Ansas Ant Brew Brewery Manager Kari Puttonen Ant Brew Team Samuli Kiuru, Mikko Leskinen
Date
July 2021
Background
In 2021 the city of Lahti was the European Green Capital. Known for their pioneering environmental activism, the city aimed to have a completely wasteless circular economy by 2050.
Rather than make a few ads to talk about Lahti’s green ambitions, the idea was to make a range of beers.
Idea
Collaborating with Lahti microbrewery Ant Brew, a range of beers were brewed. The Wasted Potential beers were made with wild herbs, local food waste including bread, berries, fruits and even goose droppings. The beers showcased circular economy by showing that all kinds of waste could be utilised.
The first beer in the series was made with orange peel from a local market’s juice pressing station and fruit purees that had exceeded their best before-date.
Results
The topic was covered all around the world from the US to Vietnam and Italy. It was a particular success in Canada.
Our Thoughts
I think this is one of those ideas that must have startled (and excited) its creators when it turned from a purely local story to one that interested the world. The original brief was, I think, to try and get one particular group of people who were completely indifferent to Lahti’s role as Green Capital of 2021 to take an interest. Men aged 25 to 35. So, what does interest this demographic? Yup, beer. You can see the connection. Suddenly being the European Green Capital doesn’t seem completely pointless after all. And elsewhere in the world the idea of a circular economy is beginning to take root. Alas, the beers seem to be available only in Lahti.