Brad and Dan Star in Fosters Advert
Friday, 1 October 2010
Foster's has become one of the best-loved lagers in the United Kingdom, though it originated from Australia. Did you know that in actuality, the sales and market share of this lager is stronger in Britain than in its home country? With production also taking place in countries such as Russia and the US, it isn't hard to see how the beer has taken the world by storm, thanks to Brad & Dan, the two new stars in a British Fosters advert.
Heineken, another leading lager company in the United Kingdom, actually owns the rights to the Fosters lager across most of Europe, and despite Fosters being branded differently in other countries the taste is always the same.
This summer, the brand in the United Kingdom has been given a jump start with a brand new multi-million pound advertising campaign. The promotion has fired the beer into direct competition with other leading brands in the race to become the most recognised and purchased beer of the summer, and hence the most profitable. Additionally, Fosters effectively kick-started the barbeque season, while showing a shared love for eating in the great outdoors. It also gave an insight into the Aussie spirit of relaxing comfortably around outside with friends and family, indulging in inappropriate and hilarious conversations, and beer-talk. After all, isn't that what we all do on a nice Saturday afternoon, with the people we love, and even the neighbours?
In some ways, it is fascinating to see our culture and perspective of life in Britain brought into vivid contrast with the Australian approach to leisure time. Brad and Dan, as featured in the advert, are two street-wise and logical-thinking Australian friends who provide advice to Brits over the phone. On one particular occasion, they give reassuring advice to a man who's worried that his wife is going to end up looking like her mother. With a sip of a can of Fosters, the pair tells the worried Brit that he should hang in there and wait to see if his wife ages well, like Carol Vorderman.
The Fosters beer advert shows more than two men having a can of beer; it signifies how it improves the quality of life for millions of people who have realised they need to take time for themselves. You may begin to think about relaxing in a different way once you've seen two guys on telly pass a rugby ball to an attractive brunette surrounded by stunning views of a deep blue sea. A glass of red wine and a DVD used to be most popular choice for winding down, but now a can of Fosters with friends has the potential to become the relaxation method of choice. You've seen it done, now it is time to live it! Of course, it might not be a good idea to wear Brad and Dan's clothing straightaway, as it rarely gets that hot here!
The weather here might not compare to the stunning climate in Australia, but making sure we celebrate those few sunny days we do get is essential. When the temperature rises and us Brits begin to get all hot and bothered, Fosters is a drink to cool down with. If you're in the pub, it might even be on draught. Just imagine Brad and Dan giving you a 'good call' from their cabin on the beach in Australia, affirming that a great time is ahead of you all.
The optimistic and laidback outlook that Brad and Dan have on life is something us Brits could learn from. The weekend is for relaxing and chilling out, and by having a beer and enjoying the company of friends and family, it isn't that hard to take some time to relax, leaving behind the problems you may have at work. The Australian duo on TV has a lot to show us, not just in beer but in life in general. In some ways, it could be perceived as a 'Visit Australia' advert as much as a promotion for lager!
Fosters adverts have always been the envy of the nation, and there have been decades of memorable adverts on TV before now. Who could forget the advert that included a man bungee-jumping into a lake, only to have his head bitten off by a crocodile? Naturally, this would normally be a cause for concern, but not for Fosters, who cheerfully showed a pint of their beer slowly being drunk afterwards, with the headline: "Never lose your head". Britons have an appreciation for dark humour, and you don't have to look further than our comedy circuit to confirm this.
Another significant campaign saw Foster's exploring 'how to speak Australian'. As a man at a wedding fumbles worryingly into a cooler tray for his can of Fosters, a woman in a discussion comes by and goes head first into the cooler in a quest for beer. This hilarious scenario takes a new twist on the meaning of the word 'devotion', and also leaves you with the intriguing notion that in Australia, the word for beer is 'Fosters'.
At times, TV adverts are even better than the TV shows themselves. For example, you may become glued to the adverts during half-time of a football match your team is losing, trying to forget the dismay you're feeling. Seeing that advert for Fosters will inevitably bring a smile to your face, not to mention the brain wave of getting beer for yourself for the second-half of the match.
Whether you aspire to be an Aussie or you simply want the care-free and contented outlook that they seem to have, just the taste of Fosters will allow you to appreciate that life doesn't always have to be taken seriously. Why not get your mates round, find the barbeque within the depths of the garage and cook the biggest piece of meat you can find? If you're lucky enough to live near the coast, have you thought about going on a trip down to the beach? That way, instead of watching the antics of Brad and Dan, you will be starring in your own TV advert: living the blissful life others want; with this beer UK summers don't have to be the miserable, rain-drenched affairs we have come to know so well.
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