Aussies and beer. A match made in advertising agency heaven.
But before we get to this week’s adverts, a slight digression…
In one of their live stage shows, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones did one of those head-to-head comedy routines they were famous for - where Jones plays the really thick one and Smith is the only slightly less thick one - and they are talking about what booze they like.
Mel says to Griff: “Oh, of course, you drink that Holsten Pils, doncha?” (Jones was appearing in a series of TV ads for brewers Holsten at the time.)
There is a pause and then Griff says: “No, I can’t stand the bloody stuff. No, I drink that Australian beer, wotsit called… Castlemaine X… X… X… um…”
There’s another pause as Griff tries to remember and Mel eventually jumps in with: “X! Castlemaine Four-X!”
Griff: “Yeah, that’s it… so, er, why do they call it Four-X?”
Mel: “Well, it’s ‘cos Australians can’t spell ‘beer’.”
On which note, here are a couple of the funniest Castlemaine XXXX adverts broadcast in the UK in the late 80s.
Enjoy!
