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NORFOLK NIPS | Tankard that helps you excel – after one you do anything well’. The latter had a series of beer mats featuring a wimp called Stanley who could do amazing things after drinking Tankard bitter. Fortunately I soon became aware of the real thing and became involved with CAMRA. Back in the 70’s Watneys was not all bad. Up in the north they owned the Wilsons brewery in Manchester and we were invited along for a relaunch of one of their products. However before we got stuck into the tour and the samples the management showed us some of their new advertising campaign for Fosters lager. These featured Paul Hogan who had just made it big in this country and no doubt you will remember some of them. My favourite was when he encounters a couple of Japanese tourists looking at a map who ask him ‘What’s the best way to Cockfosters’? ‘Serve it warm, mate’ comes the reply. On the evening they also showed us some that didn’t make the TV. One of them featured a traditional northern pub with the old boys playing dominoes in the corner. The camera pans round to show a bank of hand pumps as Hogan says ‘that’s very
thoughtful, they even provide somewhere for you to hang your hat.’ So which adverts will become the classics of today? For my money the Peter Kay ones for John Smiths are favourite. The ball juggling one where he launches it into the stratosphere accompanied by a cry of ‘ ‘Ave it!’ spawned many imitators both on the pitch and in the stands at Bury Games. The more recent series where he says something outrageous and sits there with a puzzled look on his face and says ‘What?’ for me capture northern life to perfection. So what we learnt by this idiosyncratic trawl through the history of beer advertising? Much of the advertising from years ago would not be allowed today, suggesting as it does that drinking beer is somehow good for you. It strikes me that when I was a child and had no interest in beer, I remembered more from when I was in an unfamiliar place. I think that the jingles stick in my mind and finally I put to you my theory that the better the advertising, the worse the beer. Jeff
4 Real Ales always on offer Pool • Darts • Jukebox Large Beer Garden with children’s play area.
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