Adnams snubs CAMRA ale advertising drive
Suffolk brewer Adnams has managed to avoid a rift with the Campaign for Real Ale despite axing a popular cask beer and refusing to support generic advertising.
CAMRA's plans for generic ads promoting real ale were launched at its April conference, though discussions have been taking place with brewers for more than a year.
Speaking as Adnams reorganised its cask ale portfolio, a move which will see three brands go, chairman Simon Loftus said: "I'm not sure the generic campaign will achieve a lot. We need brands advertising. In any case, what CAMRA is planning will be pretty small."
He added that he disliked CAMRA's plans to "knock" nitro-keg as part of the initiative.
CAMRA has a lot of support from brewers larger and smaller than Adnams, but will continue friendly dialogue with the Suffolk brewer.
Spokesman Iain Loe said: "Adnams is launching new beers as well as dropping current ones. We would like its support for generic advertising and will continue to explain our case."
The CAMRA campaign will promote cask ale by portraying it in a positive light compared to nitro-keg. It should begin in September.
Adnams is to axe Extra, the 4.3 per cent ale reputedly favoured by brewers and ale aficionados for its citrus flavours.
Two seasonal beers are also to go — 4.1 per cent winter ale Old and 4.3 per cent autumn ale Oyster Stout.
To fill the seasonal gap, Adnams is introducing Fisherman's for the autumn and Trinity for the winter.
Trinity is a 5.2 per cent ale and will be the brewer's first ale above five per cent and below seven per cent, the strength of like-it-or-loathe-it brand Tally Ho.
"We needed an ale in that high strength market," said Loftus.
Adnams beers are currently benefiting from television advertising across the Anglian region.
CAMRA has won support for its generic advertising from railway station pub company Head Of Steam.
"Head Of Steam has long been an advocate of cask-conditioned real ale as opposed to the bland alternative of nitrokeg beer and supports CAMRA in its campaign," said market development manager Karen James.
