One of Whitbread’s small roster agencies has succeeded in brokering a
unique marketing venture between the brewing and retail giant and
Private Eye magazine.
HBA Advertising acted as go-between for the initiative which has
resulted in the launch of Private Eye Lord Gnome Bitter in the
Whitbread-owned Hogshead chain of pubs.
The agency, which opened for business in February this year with
Whitbread as a founding client, came up with the idea of a special beer
linking Hogshead to Private Eye, which has never before allowed its
brand to be merchandised in such a way.
‘We’ve always felt that the markets for Hogshead and Private Eye are
very similar,’ Stuart Hardy, one of HBA’s founding partners, said. ‘Both
sets of consumers are upmarket, witty and knowledgeable.’
The deal coincides with the magazine’s 35th anniversary and the beer
will be launched with an ad on the back cover of its birthday edition.
Posters, written and art directed by the agency’s creative partner, Mike
Birkinshaw, will go up around the 90-plus Hogshead pubs, which are soon
to begin selling copies of Private Eye.
