Carling Campaign Champions the Return to the Local Pub

Carling, Britain’s #1 beer, is launching a new multi-channel campaign – ‘Support Your Local’ – to encourage people across the country to back their local pub.

The campaign will initially launch across social, VOD and radio this week, with further activity planned for later in the month, before TV broadcast in early September.

Support Your Local, developed by Molson Coors’ lead creative agency Havas London and supported below-the-line by Carling’s PR agency, Cake (Havas), is about championing the central role that local pubs play in British culture and society – and the importance of supporting them through these challenging times.

Filmed at a local pub with a real landlord, the campaign will champion the central role that local pubs play in British culture and society – and the importance of supporting them through these challenging times, whether that is meeting a friend for a drink, ordering a takeaway or simply giving them your backing through social channels and community groups. 

Utilising its position as Britain’s #1 beer to reach a wide audience, Carling will showcase how the local pub is where old stories are remembered and new ones are made; the best place for a nice cold pint; but much more than that – a place which is at the heart of our communities.

Support Your Local will be amplified with a PR and influencer campaign which will see celebrities and influencers share their experiences of returning to their local, highlighting how pubs are still a place for people to enjoy safely.

The campaign is the next phase of Carling Made Local, which champions and supports people who are making a positive impact in their hometown – just like Carling which is brewed by local people in the historic brewing town of Burton-on-Trent.

Phil Whitehead, managing director, Western Europe, Molson Coors, said: “Pubs and bars across the country have been working tirelessly to make sure they’re providing a safe and welcoming environment for regulars and new customers, and as Carling is Britain’s #1 beer we have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to use our voice to showcase the incredible role they play.”

“We know that pubs are an integral part of what makes Britain special and they are so much more than just a place to go for a drink. Yet many will be facing an uncertain and challenging future. That’s why we’re calling on everyone to join us in supporting their local in whatever way they can to help make sure that they continue to be the cornerstone of our communities, and a place where we can all continue to remember old stories and make new memories for generations to come.” 

Vicki Maguire, chief creative officer at Havas London, says: “Pubs are woven into the very fabric of the local communities at the beating heart of this country. From the swifty or the gastropub lunch to the footy and the darts – pubs’ closure during lockdown left a fundamental void in all our lives. Where they’ve always been there for us, now we need to be there for them – and while this film is all about what we’ve missed, it’s also about what we can start to get back.”