Whitbread has appointed Holder Henry Pearce and Bailey to handle
two of its top beer brands - Labatt Canadian Lager and Boston Beer.
Labatts is one of the top three standard lagers for young adults in the
North of England. Pubs and clubs account for 80 per cent of the brand’s
consumption. However, the brand has not advertised in recent years.
Holder Henry already works with Whitbread, having picked up the Travel
Inn Hotels chain account in July at the same time as Max Henry, the
former creative director of Laing Henry, joined the agency and put his
name above the door.
Henry, the chairman and executive creative director at Holder Henry who
led the pitch against two unnamed agencies, said: ’It is a terrific
victory to be on the Whitbread agency roster - something that most
agencies cannot get near. Our creative work and strategic thinking won
through.’
Boston Beer, a lager-ale hybrid, is served chilled and is aimed at
25- to 35-year-olds who often switch between lager and bitter. The
agency has created what it calls a ’wry, understated’ creative treatment
for the brand, which advertised in July with a TV campaign starring the
actor, Elliott Gould, through Lowe Howard-Spink.
Peter Jackson, the director of on-trade marketing for Whitbread, said:
’Holder Henry has produced some excellent creative thinking in
preparation for its pitch. We were very impressed and look forward to
developing both campaigns.’
Holder Henry is preparing through-the-line work for both brands, and
will work alongside Lowes. The exact spend has not been revealed,
although the agency claims it to be ’in excess of six figures’.
Labatts became part of the Whitbread stable in August 1996. Whitbread’s
portfolio of beers includes Labatt Ice and Stella Artois, both handled
by Lowe Howard-Spink, and Boddingtons, which is with Bartle Bogle
Hegarty.
