Others have dismissed it as an abject failure though, and suggested the millions behind the campaign would be better spent promoting beer by funding new pubs or breweries. I'm no marketing expert so I wouldn't know, but as the companies providing the money already have thousands of pubs and hundreds of breweries I don't think that would make much difference.
As the advert itself is quite inoffensive, in the main the outrage seems to be based on the perception that global industrial brewers are trying to leech off the current excitement about quality beer. I think this view is mistaken. As far as I can see the main aim of the campaign is to get people to drink beer instead of wine, and they are trying to be genuinely inclusive of all types of beer in the campaign.
The fact the main focus is on pairing beer with food looks like a definite attempt to move into the territory currently occupied by wine, and apparently their pairing suggestions will include beers from all breweries great and small. Of course I could be a dupe of multinational corporations, but I have to say I'm quite pleased to see a generic campaign to promote beer.
I have to say that I'm a little bemused by all this outrage. If it's a generic promotion to raise the profile of beer does it really matter who funds it?
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head when you used the word 'generic' there John. This will do little to capture the hearts and minds of those on the fringes of beer that this is aimed at.
DeleteThe whole point of it is to be a generic beer promotion campaign. If you're against that then I don't think anything they do will make you happy.
DeleteHaving known personally some of the egotistical, self-serving, airheads who work in the industry, I remain both cynical and sceptical of advertising. I hadn’t seen the original ad for “Let There be Beer” (the one which was pulled by the ASA), until I viewed the link on Pete Brown’s latest blog, but I can certainly see why it was slated at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe new “There’s a Beer for That” is obviously completely different from the over the top, in-your face nonsense of the first ad, and will hopefully get the message across about the versatility, appeal and sheer enjoyment of a glass of well-crafted beer.
Given the time constraints and other restrictions, the ad has to be generic. What else did people expect?.
I've really no idea. John fucking Kimmich drinking beer out of a can and saying "awesome" lots?
DeleteThe reason people drink wine, or craft beer, rather than their mass produced and rather bland offering is that people are becoming more discerning. We are beating the big boys, I for one don't want to join in with an attempt to claw back some of the ground we've gained.
ReplyDeleteBut, if you like it, then I guess that's your choice.
Interesting comment, aligning yourself with wine rather than beer in general does explain much better where you're coming from than the incoherent rants of the other critics of the new campaign. Definitely not where I stand though.
DeleteBig beer has lost out to wine, and of course cider and alcopops. However, I think we can safely say all alcopops and most ciders are not for the more discering, and I strongly suspect most wine sold is no more 'crafted' than a can of Carling. I'll also add that Pete Brown's comment on Chris Hall's (I think) blog does back up my view that the big brewers are not directing the campaign as an attack on 'craft' beer.