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Saatchi and Saatchi has created its first TV campaign for Castlemaine

XXXX since dropping the macho strapline written 12 years ago by

James Lowther: ‘Australians wouldn’t give a XXXX for any other lager’.

Nine versions of the same commercial will kick off the campaign around

the film, Demolition Man, which airs on ITV on 17 August.

The pounds 1 million spend for the opening evening is, according to

Carlsberg-Tetley, the most money ever spent by one advertiser in a

single night on British television.

The spots will be aired during each break over the course of the two-

hour film.

Further ad blitzes, based around Zenith Media’s strategy of ‘hijacking’

events, will air during Friends on 20 September and Cracker on 28

October.

Each 30-second commercial is based on the new line: ‘Fresh as XXXX’,

which is intended to position Castlemaine as the most refreshing lager

on the market.

Sales of the brand have slowed in recent years, while premium lagers

have risen in popularity, and the new strategy is intended to reposition

the brand for younger drinkers.

Out go the lager’s old images of chauvinistic sheep- shearers in favour

of a younger, more trendy hero who heads off across the Australian

outback on his motorbike for a pint at his favourite bar.

The spots all share an opening ‘template’ featuring a signature piece of

music, but each has a dramatically different ending: his motorbike runs

out of fuel; his babe girlfriend turns into an ugly bloke in drag; he

turns into a fly; his pint mysteriously disappears in an X-Files-type

spoof.

Clive Briscoe, the lagers marketing controller at Carlsberg-Tetley,

said: ‘Castlemaine XXXX is known for its irreverent humour and these ads

are a perfect match.’

The films, shot over 11 days on location in Australia, were written by

John Pallant and art directed by Matt Ryan. They were directed by the

former Saatchis art director, Mark Williams, through Tony Kaye Films and

the Saatchis in-house production facility, Winkle Films.