Taxi Studio Wins at D&AD

Taxi Studio Wins D&AD Wood Pencil for Carlsberg Typeface Design ‘Probably Serif’
Taxi Studio has been awarded a prestigious Wood Pencil at the 2026 D&AD Awards for Probably Serif — a bespoke global typeface created for Carlsberg as part of the brewery’s evolving international brand identity.

Recognised in one of the world’s most respected creative award programmes, the win celebrates our approach to strategic brand design, typography, and distinctive brand asset creation.

Developed in collaboration with Carlsberg, Probably Serif was designed to function as far more than a visual identity system. The typeface was created as a critical brand asset capable of carrying the Carlsberg identity independently across global markets, digital platforms, campaigns, packaging systems, and regulated “dark markets” where alcohol branding restrictions limit the use of logos and packaging assets.

A Typeface Rooted in Carlsberg’s Heritage
The project draws inspiration from Carlsberg’s iconic 1904 wordmark, originally designed by Danish artist Thorvald Bindesbøll. Known for its unique combination of organic curves, architectural structure, and expressive detailing, the mark has become one of the most recognisable symbols in global beer branding.

The Taxi Studio team deconstructed the original lettering and translated its visual DNA into a contemporary serif typeface system designed for modern brand communications. The resulting typeface preserves the eccentricity and character of the original while creating a scalable system suitable for both Latin and Cyrillic languages.

The work supports Carlsberg’s wider global premiumisation strategy by strengthening distinctive brand recognition across international markets.

Design That Solves Business Challenges
The D&AD-recognised project reflects our belief that the most effective branding combines creative craft with commercial impact.

As legislation increasingly restricts alcohol advertising and packaging communications in certain territories, Carlsberg required a flexible visual system capable of maintaining brand recognition even when traditional branding assets could not appear. Probably Serif was developed as a solution to that challenge — allowing the brand’s identity to remain instantly recognisable through typography alone.

Rather than functioning as a decorative brand element, the typeface acts as a scalable strategic asset embedded across the Carlsberg ecosystem.

Recognition at the D&AD Awards
The D&AD Awards are internationally recognised as one of the highest benchmarks for excellence in design and advertising. Winning a Wood Pencil places Probably Serif amongst some of the most celebrated creative work globally.

For Taxi Studio, the recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to creating distinctive brand worlds that blend strategy, storytelling, typography, and cultural relevance.

Huge congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this work to life.