Cristal launches a refreshing brand identity with WeWantMore. Lore Oudermans, Marketing Manager at Alken-Maes (HEINEKEN), explains this new phase for the brand:

“Cristal, born in Limburg, Belgium in 1928, has undergone a major transformation over the past four years. By drawing on authentic elements and stories from our brand, Cristal has successfully regained relevance with a broad audience through a renewed positioning, visual identity, and communication strategy — in collaboration with our partners WeWantMore and VML. This approach has paid off, with impressive brand and business growth, crowned by two Effie Awards.”

However, the pilsner market remains highly commoditized. To truly stand out, the brand must continue to focus on recognition, quality, and emotional relevance. Cristal believes that great brands never stand still. That’s why this pilsner always brings a little something extra to people’s lives. This is achieved through innovation, the use of Belgian ingredients, and a bold new identity that honors nearly 100 years of history while daring to break classic pilsner codes: “Adding the Extra to the Ordinary.”

The new brand identity, developed by the design studio WeWantMore, reinforces Cristal’s evolution: from a mainstream pilsner to an “extra ordinary” Belgian lager. Visually, this new brand platform is expressed through the concept “A Cut Above.” The iconic pentagon remains present and recognizable, but the logo now literally stands apart from it — a strong symbol of Cristal’s confidence and boldness in moving forward in a traditionally nostalgic and static pilsner category.

Overlay effects and sharp graphic cutouts add rhythm and energy to the overall design. A key element of this new identity is the custom typography, specially designed for Cristal, featuring a raw, angular formal language that reflects the brand’s bold character.

Together, these elements form a flexible brand platform that ensures consistency across all expressions — whether it’s a campaign, activation, or packaging.

“The 2021 rebranding was a success, but the brand was ready to go further. That’s why we created a brand that no longer whispers, but speaks with conviction. ‘A Cut Above’ stems from Cristal’s quality and attitude. And now that comes through in every detail of the identity.”
— Sebastien Greffe, Creative Director at WeWantMore

And what does this mean for the future?

The new brand identity will be widely rolled out starting this spring, with visibility in supermarkets, cafés, and festivals. Cristal will be supported by a renewed ATL and social campaign, further reinforcing the brand’s refined positioning to make it even stronger among a broader and younger audience. With this transformation, Cristal claims a unique position in the Belgian beer market: authentic, forward-thinking, and powerful.