Who owns CERVEZA CRISTAL?
CERVEZA CRISTAL is owned by
COMPAÑÍA DE CERVECERÍAS UNIDAS
Not to be confused with CRISTAL-PERU, MI-CRISTAL
First Brewed
1921
Origin
Peru, South America
Cerveza Cristal beer was introduced in Valparaíso, Chile in 1977 by Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas. The beer was originally known as Pilsener Cristal, before rebranding in 1993 as Cerveza Cristal with the motto “Única, Grande, y Nuestra,” which means “Unique, Big, and Ours” in Spanish. CCU had already by that time consolidated the beverage market, and had been the region’s Pepsi producer since 1959. As one of the largest suppliers of beer in the country, Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas has made Cerveza Cristal one of the most popular beers in Chile.
In 2024, the brand began getting recognition online, when clips resurfaced from 2003 that showed Cristal Beer edited into scenes from Star Wars. The brand had paid for promotional placement when the movies were shown on Chilean TV, and the edits were seen as a way to avoid cutting to commercial during the airings of the movies. The campaign was called “The Force is with Cerveza Cristal,” and was created by advertising agencies OMD Chile and Efex. This led to followup campaigns with Cerveza Cristal on the same channel, using the movies American Beauty, Notting Hill, and Gladiator.
In 2004, Lucasfilms filed a claim with Chile’s regulatory authority on advertising ethics, arguing that the campaign irresponsibly blurred the line between content and advertising. Later that year, the company accepted the claim, and agreed not to use the campaign again.
In 2023, Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas introduced Cristal Orígenes, a special, limited edition beer to celebrate the three regions of Chile. The beer used the acidic lime known as límon de Pica to represent the northern zone, honey to represent the country’s central zone, and berries to represent the south of Chile.
Popular Beers by this Brand
- Cerveza Cristal
- Cristal Cero
- Cristal Cero Radler
- Cristal Orígenes
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