Cheers: experts raise a glass to There's a Beer For That TV ad

Marketing experts who criticised last year’s TV ad for the beer industry’s generic marketing campaign have declared its successor a big improvement.

Breaking last weekend, the new ad is the debut activity for industry-wide push There’s A Beer For That, which has replaced the Let There Be Beer campaign.

The revamped push – which, like Let There Be Beer, will be funded by SAB Miller, Carlsberg, Heineken, AB InBev and Molson Coors – is being launched under the umbrella of new trade group Britain’s Beer Alliance. Designed to represent the entire beer category, the new group includes global, national and regional brewers, publicans and industry organisations such as the British Beer & Pub Association, Society of Independent Brewers and Cask Marque.

A TV ad that launched Let There Be Beer last summer drew criticism from marketers for relying on beer advertising clichés “preaching to the converted”. Injury was added to insult when the ad was later banned by the ASA for suggesting alcohol could make an individual more popular and socially successful.

But the There’s A Beer For That ad - which was directed by Michael Winterbottom and depicts “real people” drinking beer in a range of settings as a rhyming voiceover suggests there is a beer for every situation – has been given a far warmer welcome.

Here we offer the views of marketing experts – many of whom were heavily critical of last year’s Let There Be Beer ad.

 

Richard Morgan, senior creative, Geometry Global

Last year we saw a generic ad that, while funny, didn’t give beer the stand-out it desired. This year’s ad addresses my original criticism that it needed to show the audience how beer has versatility through different scenarios.

This addresses my original criticism that it needed to show the audience how beer has versatility through different scenarios.

Firstly, I think they’ve created a strong idea grounded deeply in a product truth. While this doesn’t make beer unique it does raise its profile.

And by tying it to meal occasions it offers a perspective that could unlock new exploration into different beers.

Looking deeper, the ad falls flat on the execution, however, and  doesn’t grab me. The music and visuals feel like they were lifted from some 90’s TV ad. The voiceover, while playing in that poetic space, pales next to ads like McDonald’s, which have executed poetry beautifully.

I think it’s both the writing and performance that let it down - it’s cheesy and not by design either. The voice is missing either a passion for the beer, or a natural warmth and reality.

Overall it’s a step in the right direction and I hope there’s a good solid social angle to the campaign to make it fly.

 

Robert Metcalfe, managing director, Richmond Towers

This is everything the previous ad wasn’t – engaging, well made, appealing – with the result,  thank God, that beer actually looks desirable.

The close linking of different beers with different foods enables the infinite variety of beer to be communicated in a relevant way to an audience that pretty much includes everybody over 18 (which is a challenge).  There’s a Beer For That cleverly presents beer as the solution to a problem that was, until now, non-existent for most people, who wouldn’t normally consider beer and food matching. If forcing reappraisal of beer was the aim, then this ad succeeds, despite the slightly clunky use of rhyming couplets for the voiceover.

The long-term success of the campaign will rely on how confidently this theme is extended beyond the TV ad and into PR and, particularly, sales promotion/in-store support, where it could have huge promotional mileage. Maybe they had to get it so wrong last year to get it so right now.

 

Simon Robinson, freelance creative consultant

There’s a brand new ad/that’s not half bad/to make us drink beer.

It’s beautifully shot/ and the writing is hot/the brief is clear.

It shows occasions/and a range of locations/for the drink we hold dear.

It’s a tad generic/but still telegenic/so let’s give it a cheer.

When it comes to class/it’s top of the glass/now where is my beer?

 

Louis Loizou, creative director for shopper marketing, Ogilvy/Team Shine

The five patron beer breweries have had to step back and readdress how to talk to people about beer - from your average Joe in the street to Lady Lucinda in her country estate; its variety and its versatility, while including the smaller craft brewers.

This “real life” documentary-style direction by SapientNitro and Michael Winterbottom allows a plethora of different beers to be introduced

This ‘one size fits all’ approach is very reminiscent of Leo Burnett’s McDonald’s work, presenting a compilation of small identifiable stories and situations wrapped with a witty rhyming voiceover. This “real life” documentary-style direction by SapientNitro and Michael Winterbottom allows a plethora of different beers to be introduced and their virtues to be best showcased, but there is an odd questionable beer drinking situation here - such as the baking competition judge apparently prefering his beer over his accompanying cake. Beer and cake? What next? Corn flakes and beer for breakfast? No doubt supporting the campaign’s #BeerMatch tweets – which will offer food and beer matching suggestions - will reveal some bizarre and interesting combos.

Overall, it’s a vast improvement on last year’s misjudged effort and goes a long way to reigniting Britain’s love of beer without encouraging or suggesting that the full breadth of our multi-cultural nation are alcoholics. I’ll drink (a craft beer) to that!