Bats, balls and beers (Marston’s)

Marston’s is the official beer of this winter’s cricket Ashes series between England and Australia. Dominic Roskrow spoke to Justin Way, Marston’s marketing manager, about the deal

If you’re English and you follow cricket, then the events of 18 months ago are no doubt indelibly scratched on your memory. You probably own the dvd and replay it after every England one day game defeat. It’ll be up there as one of your favourite sporting memories of all time. And always will be.

Any number of individual highlights spring to mind when we think back to that glorious summer when England won the Ashes against the best team in the world. But my favourite is the day of celebration that followed as regular television footage showed the team travelling from location to location with the hero of the hour Freddie Flintoff getting merrier and merrier by the minute.

There were those that frowned at his behaviour, questioning the player’s professionalism, but not many. For most of us, Freddie had earned the right to his celebratory drinks. A bad example to any youngsters watching? Get out of here! The man had thrown himself heart and soul in to a sweaty, sweltering summer’s worth of work, had demonstrated athleticism at its finest, and had done so with a down to earth humility rarely seen by an internationally-acclaimed sporting hero.

He was one of the lads and superman at the same time.

Most of all he deserved his drinks, though, because he was sponsored by Lancashire brewery Thwaites and what better way to celebrate such a special occasion than with a few beers? Good-humoured, trouble-free and happy drinking, what’s irresponsible with that?

Beer and cricket are intrinsically linked and have been for centuries. From village greens to the Oval, London, which for many years was sponsored by Foster’s, beer has flowed on greens across the country. The game’s pace is designed for the leisurely consumption of beer.

Indeed, warm beer and cricket is an iconic and enduring image of English village life.

Now, with the prospect of another Ashes ahead, Burton brewer Marston’s has announced that it is to be the official beer of the English cricket team not just in Australia this winter but for the next four years.

It marks a major step up for Marston’s, putting its brands on to a truly international platform, but according to the brewery’s marketing manager Justin Way, it is just the logical next step for a company with a long involvement with cricket.

“It’s not just jumping on a bandwagon after the Ashes success,” he says. “Nor is it a shot in the dark for us as a brewer. There has been a long link stretching back many years. We had a captain of Derbyshire who worked at the brewery at one time, we are the official beer of six county championship teams, our beers are supplied to a large number of cricket club bars, and we will be sponsoring the village cup championship from next year as well as being involved with the Professional Cricketers Association. So sponsorship of the England team is the logical next step.” Although the company’s flagship brand is Pedigree, the four year sponsorship affects the entire Marston’s range, including Old Empire (appropriately-named when you consider where England goes to play cricket), Burton Bitter and a number of seasonal and bottled beers.

The immediate impact will be felt in bars across the Marston’s estate pretty much straightaway. A special Ashes Ale, first produced to mark last year’s titanic clash, is being revived in time for the series Down Under, a special stump-shaped hand-pull will appear in some pubs, and new branded glassware will be rolled out.

But where the sponsorship gets really interesting for Marston’s is out in Australia itself. For the brewer is working closely with England’s now famous Barmy Army in what could well be a unique interaction between fans, team and sponsor.

If you’re not familiar with the Barmy Army concept then let’s try and explain. In recent years England’s cricket team has been supported by a very vocal, very visual and very funny set of supporters led by a beanpole of a man with shaggy long blonde hair. They have their own songbook and sing their way through games, no matter how poorly the team’s performing on the pitch, and they reserved their fiercest and funniest barbs for the Australians.

They also publish a magazine and have built up an official merchandising arm and frequent a range of bars in the cities hosting England cricket matches. One of their long-running complaints has been the unavailability of English beer. Not any longer.

“We are working with the Barmy Army to make sure that our beers will be in the bars where they go,” says Way. “It means we’ll have a direct presence in Australia. And they’re even putting a Marston’s song on their Barmy Harmony song sheet.” To cap the relationship Marston’s has secured the services of England bowling hero Matthew Hoggard, a cask ale drinker with a soft spot for Marston’s Pedigree. He will act as a brand ambassador.

A tour of Australia, particularly one where the home side are smarting from defeat and desperate for revenge in front of their own fans, is about as tough as cricket gets. And with the cricket World Cup next up, and England’s one day form indifferent, the team clearly has its work cut out.

But Marston’s is playing its part in ensuring that the fun bond between beer and cricket is maintained. Whether England fans will be celebrating in the way they were 14 months ago remains to be seen. But celebration or commiseration, no doubt a fair few pints of Pedi will be part of the process.

For more information visit the web site - www.marstonsdontcompromise.co.uk/

By Dominic Roskrow

Section : News Analysis

Page number : 30