In these polarized, fractious times, it is tough for most people to find consensus on countless topics. Less than a third of people agree on what good taste actually means. However, 83% of people believe they have good taste. A study spanning Asia, Europe, and North America commissioned by beer brand 1664 produced this finding. Therefore, the 1664 campaign Robert Pattinson addresses a universal human tension.
That insight is the central tenant of “A Question of Good Taste.” This is the new campaign from the Carlsberg Group brand formerly known as Kronenbourg 1664. The effort was created with London independent agency Fold7, “The Brutalist” director Brady Corbet, and the brand’s global ambassador, actor Robert Pattinson. In a 60-second hero ad, Pattinson plays several residents in a Parisian apartment building.
Pattinson Plays Multiple Characters in the Ad
The characters include a modern minimalist, an eccentric older man with a goatee and gaudy glasses, and a paint-splattered avant-garde artist. The neighbors battle over music choices. They argue about piano playing, jazz records, and electronic music CDs. They also clash over food orders. Options include an Instagram-ready burger, a baguette, and a well-dressed oyster. They prefer different footwear and reading material as well. The three agree on one thing: a cold, blue-glass bottle of 1664 Blanc. In a kicker, Pattinson also plays a long-haired, leather-clad rocker. He also has a 1664 in hand.
“Good taste is only your responsibility and it’s your way of seeing things.” said Laurent Cayet, vice president of creative and experience at Carlsberg Group. “Nobody can tell you if it’s true or not. We thought this contrast and this tension was interesting to leverage. The core campaign idea is about agreeing to disagree. It was very interesting and very rich.”
Avoiding Traditional Celebrity Advertising
The global brand platform and integrated campaign will run across TV, digital, social, and out-of-home channels. In-store work was created by agency Live & Breathe. A social campaign was created by We Are Social. However, even with Pattinson in the ad, the agency and brand shied away from a traditional celebrity campaign. “Typically, when a brand has a famous person, all that you end up with in 99% of advertising is them generally being themselves,” said Fold7 Founder and Chief Creative Officer Ryan Newey. “You get a vibe from those celebrity-driven campaigns. They have a look and a style, but they don’t have a great deal of substance.”
For Fold7, the right vehicle for a discussion of taste was inspired by a classic film. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 “Rear Window” is a cinematic classic that shares a sense of class and style with 1664, Newey explained. The production landed on the dynamic of neighbors in conflict. Instead of two Pattinsons, as seen in last year’s “Mickey 17,” the team asked: what if there were more?
Detailed Practical Production
Digging into the characters, Fold7 explored subjects that could communicate taste in a simple, visual way. These included clothes, food, and music. The team then built up the characters in collaboration with Pattinson and Corbet. Corbet previously directed the actor in “The Childhood of a Leader.” They determined whether the chameleonic Pattinson could get a feel for the characters and find their motivations. However, the characters had to serve the budget of both the production and the brand.
“We had some ideas for characters, but it just wouldn’t have been possible to shoot it in the time frame, because you’d have spent all day in prosthetics,” Newey explained. “And then also, our client has paid millions of pounds for Robert, and if you augment him too far, you might not recognize him.”
To produce the ad, Corbet brought in the same composer and director of photography who worked with him on “The Brutalist.” The set was built practically. This brought verisimilitude to the ad and helped inform Pattinson’s performance. “You can go through the windows of those sets and see their apartments,” Newey said. “The characterization of that guy is really brought to life in their lounge, the posters and books they read, and the level of detail there.”
Long-Term Platform for the Brand
The depth of detail in the ad will also help 1664 extend the platform beyond just this launch. The brand did not want this to be a celebrity-driven spot that lasts a few years. They did not want to lose the ambassador to another brand’s celebrity-driven spot. The effort can flex based on the arguments around taste on a market-by-market basis. “It’s not a one shot,” Cayet said. “It’s supposed to be something that is to live for many, many years. That’s what we liked about it from the beginning: It has this breadth, and it can be stretched quite a lot.”
The 1664 campaign Robert Pattinson represents a new approach to celebrity advertising. It uses the actor’s chameleonic abilities, engages a universal human question about taste. It builds a platform that can evolve over time. The campaign will roll out globally, focusing on markets where 1664 competes with other premium lagers. The brand hopes that the conversation about good taste will drive both awareness and sales. Early social media reactions have been positive, with viewers praising the ad’s cinematic quality. The 1664 campaign Robert Pattinson sets a high bar for beer advertising in 2026. Competitors will likely take note. The question now is whether this approach will translate from creative acclaim to commercial success. The brand is betting that good taste ultimately wins.