Craft brewers Young Henrys calls BS on ‘lady’ marketing in its latest campaign via unko

Craft brewers Young Henrys have called BS on brands that segment the market and create everyday products especially for women in their entry to this year’s Brewin Transfer competition.

The annual Good Beer Week event, open to all independent craft brewers, asked beer makers to create ‘Beer Ads for Women’. In response, Young Henrys teamed up with female led production company, unko and director Stef Smith, to poke fun at the notion of advertising beer specifically to women.

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Says Oscar McMahon, co-founder, Young Henrys: “We know that women drink beer for the same reasons men do. Because it tastes good. Wrapping it up in a pink can or putting a spin on it to make it more appealing to women is just marketing smoke & mirrors. That said, we thought we’d give it a go with our new ‘lady beer’.”

The ad features McMahon apologising to the women of Australia for the Young Henrys oversight by introducing a brand new ‘lady beer’; revealed as the Young Henrys Newtowner. Same can, same beer.

The concept was created by unko’s Stef Smith and has a message everyone can see truth in.

Says Smith: “Making non-gendered products gender specific is something I wanted pick at. But I didn’t want to create an ad where you see a woman on a beach and expect her to be drinking an Aperol spritz but ‘WOW, psych, it’s a beer, because chicks drink beer didn’t you know?’ So instead, I took the piss out of ‘lady’ everything, including ‘lady’ advertising.”

Working within the rules of the competition’s limited budget, the team was conscious not to exploit on-screen female talent for a token fee.

Says Smith: “Women have put up with enough crap and casting a female performer would’ve undercut her market value in the lucrative alcohol sector. So we enlisted Young Henrys co-founder Oscar, capitalising on his connection with the brand and willingness to do (almost) anything for beer. To balance the scales, we pulled together an incredible team of female key creatives, supported by their male colleagues and collaborators. Turns out just about anyone will work for beer!”

At the packed event at the Cherry Tree Hotel in Melbourne, the Young Henrys entry received a standing ovation. Judge and prominent feminist author, Clementine Ford, said the ad is “very funny and taps into the zeitgeist”.

Bastion creative director Jim Ritchie said: “This is truly an ad for our times. A man giving an apology about gender biased advertising over the decades.”

Young Henrys makes beverages for people and strives to create inclusive, accessible and safe spaces.

For more information go to – www.studiounko.com or www.younghenrys.com.