PubAid Unveils Christmas Ad Backing the Vital Role of UK Pubs

The industry advert is inspired by the beloved 1970s Hovis advert championing the simple, heartfelt pleasures that pubs offer at the heart of local life.

PubAid, the UK’s independent voice for pubs, has unveiled a new Christmas TV advert championing the industry’s vital contribution to community sport.

Titled ‘The Pub Run’, the film follows publican Justine Lorriman of The Royal Dyche in Burnley as she runs through the town, gradually joined by the many sports teams her pub supports.

What starts as a simple shout becomes an uplifting wave of community spirit, culminating in a poignant final twist that underlines the true value pubs bring to the people they serve.

The advert is driven by a poem-based script that threads the story together and ends: “some gifts, like the pub, you just cannot wrap.”

The film sits at the heart of PubAid’s recently launched Pub Powers Sport campaign, supported by Guinness and Sky Business, and has already attracted more than 25,000 views on Facebook.

PubAid Co-Founder Des O’Flanagan said:“This advert is our heartfelt tribute to publicans everywhere and a reminder of the vital role pubs play in powering local sport, connection and wellbeing. The message is clear: pubs power 6.7 million sports sessions every year. Without pubs, we’d lose that.”

In a nod to the classic 1973 Hovis commercial, the soundtrack - Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 - has been faithfully reimagined by Stevensonics, the music production team led by award-winning producer Gary Stevenson and collaborator Phil Taylor. Stevenson’s career includes work with artists such as Rick Astley, ABC, Go West, Tony Hadley, Bros and Jane McDonald.

The voiceover is provided by Lee Row of Radio Burnley.

The project was made possible thanks to PubAid’s supporters, including Guinness, Sky Business, Greene King, Zonal, Budweiser Brewing Group and Star Pubs & Bars.

Watch the advert here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17ZQfMvvm4/

The advert builds on last month’s Pub Powers Sport report, which revealed that British pubs contribute over £40 million a year to grassroots sport, powering 6.7 million sporting sessions annually and helping keep 1.67 million people active. Despite ongoing challenges in the sector, support for community sport has remained consistent since 2019, underlining pubs’ role as an essential, and often unseen, force in the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing.

The pub industry is firmly in this year’s race for standout Christmas ads. This week, Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen, now known for its emotive festive storytelling, released its 2025 Christmas film, while Star Pubs also launched a seasonal advert across its Proper Pubs channels.

To learn more about PubAid, its work and opportunities for industry partners, visit www.pubaid.co.uk.

ENDS

About PubAid

Founded in 2009, PubAid exists to realise the impact that pubs have on their communities. Supported by leading pub companies, suppliers and brewers, PubAid provides a united platform to tell the sector’s good-news stories from community fundraising and volunteering to grassroots sport and sustainability.

For more information, visit www.pubaid.co.uk

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Video here.

For more information contact: Abi Owers M: 07970 703449 or email pr@pubaid.co.uk 

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