Wells Bombardier, has announced a record investment in advertising as it becomes the official sponsor of UK entertainment channel Dave during their prime time weekday evening slot.
The sponsorship will launch on Dave on the 16th April with adverts running weekdays from 9pm – midnight, five days a week for 12 months. The 10-15 second adverts build upon the success of the 2011 advertising campaign staring Rik Mayall as the “English, ever reliable and damned tasty” Bombardier, and feature the Bombardier saluting and celebrating what makes the English Bang On! Viewers can expect to see the Bombardier’s take on the English sense of humour, values, our love of local pubs and our social habits.
The 2012 campaign is worth £5million and is the biggest ever investment into the brand, and in the ale category as a whole. Alongside the sponsorship the brand will build upon existing social media channels; Youtube, Twitter and predominantly Facebook. Since the launch of the 2011 campaign sales of Bombardier have increased by double digits, with nearly 700 new stockist over last year.*
“The Bombardier character – William Charles Bedford – is your dashing hero on the battlefield, with a caddish twinkle in his eye” said Chris Lewis, Marketing Director of Wells and Young’s, “but we listened to our 25,000 strong facebook regiment who wanted more content that they could engage with and share. TV advertising in 2011 helped propel the Bombardier into the consciousness of the 17million beer drinkers in the UK, but sponsorship of Dave prime time allows us to showcase not only the humour, eccentricity and depth of The Bombardier, but gives us long term exposure to promote the values, messages and strong proposition of the brand to the Dave viewers. We believe that our adverts enhance the witty banter of the programme that it sits alongside on Dave and will become eagerly anticipated and as popular as the programme content. While Bombardier is an iconic ale with distinct English character, we have once again creatively shaken up the category and shown how sponsorship idents can be fresh, funny, clever and sharp, but also topical and engaging, throughout the 12 month period.”
“One of the driving objectives from the Bombardier campaign since inception has been to encourage drinkers to head down to their local for a pint of Bombardier. Scenes from the adverts heavily feature pubs with lots of the action framed around the Bombardier’s mess tent, with other scenes featuring Bombardier pub names and pub games” continues Chris Lewis. The number of stockists of Bombardier has increased by nearly 700 since the launch of the 2011 advert and we hope more pubs will stock Bombardier over the coming months.”
The adverts sit alongside other on trade initiatives that the brand has developed which include- specially design pub kits for St George’s Day and a Bang On! Facebook map which directs beer drinkers to their nearest Bang On! Bombardier stocking pub.
—ends—
For immediate release: Monday 2nd April 2012
Notes to Editors:
* BBPA Feb 12, CGA Jan 11.
Chris Lewis, Marketing Director, Wells and Young’s is available for interviews.
For more information visit:
www.bombardier.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bombardier.beer
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bombardier_beer
YouTube: www.youtube.com/bombardierbeer
About Bombardier
Commonly known as ‘The Drink of England,’ Bombardier is brewed using ingredients from the heart of England including accredited natural mineral water from the brewery’s very own well. The beer has a burnished copper colour and a rich, tempting aroma of peppery hops and raisins. The palate is dominated by more dark fruit, juicy malt and tangy hops.
About Wells and Young’s
Wells and Young’s is the UK’s largest private brewing company based at The Brewery, Bedford. It has a portfolio spanning some of the UK’s best known cask ales and speciality lager brands including Young’s and Courage ales, and Estrella Damm and Kirin Ichiban lagers. Wells and Young’s acquired the McEwan’s and Younger’s brands in 2011.