Brewing giants including Molson Coors AB-InBev, Carlsberg and Heineken have joined forces with the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the Society of Independent Brewers to launch the ‘Let There Be Beer’ activity.
A television ad and supporting activity tries to prompt a reappraisal of beer by highlighting the variety of beers, ales, pilsners and stouts available. In a bid to tap into the growth of gastro pubs, it will also push beer as an accompaniment to food.
To this end, the campaign’s organisers have also struck a deal with Channel 4 to sponsor its Sunday Brunch show.
UK beer sales have been in decline for years as drinkers switch to cider and wine. Sales fell 2.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2013, according to the latest BBPA data. Sales from pubs, closing at a rate of 26 a week according to Camra, were down 5.5 per cent.
Simon Cox, managing director of Molson Coors, says: “There is an ever more diverse selection of beers available in our pubs and supermarket shelves. We’ve seen the emergence of a more discerning beer drinker, a growth in micro-breweries, as well as increased availability of beer brands from all around the UK and the world. Two decades ago there were around 2,000 brands of beer on sale in the UK compared to more than 5,000 on sale today.
“Let There Be Beer is about instilling a passion for beer in the nation’s hearts and remind the nation why beer is the nation’s best-loved drink. But for many, beer simply means pints of warm, flat lager. That couldn’t be further from reality.”
