The £2m poster campaign, one of the biggest spends in the cask ale market, matching the advertising of Wells Bombardier, will go live on May 7. It is centred on the concept of an "urban retreat", giving drinkers a moment of calm in their busy lives.
The ads were created by ad agency Farm, with the first centring around a traffic island and the second a tube train cutaway. The first ad features an area of grass in the shape of a pint with the Young's ram, surrounded by the chaos of an urban metropolis. The poster campaign will begin in London and will spread nationwide later in the year, with two additional poster designs. Media buying and planning is handled by Monkey.
Chris Lewis, director of marketing for Wells and Young's, said: "This is a really important new campaign for Young's Bitter with a unique and motivating advertising proposition. Young's has a tremendous amount of heritage, from the iconic ram to the pubs synonymous with the beer.
"We had to make sure we got the message just right, and through market research we have developed a campaign that brings Young's Bitter into a new era. Following the merger, it is imperative that we get the marketing for the Young's brand right first time. The urban retreat message for drinkers is that a pint of Young's Bitter will help them to escape the madness of their city."
In May 2006 London brewer Young's combined its brewing operations with Charles Wells of Bedford. The new company, Wells and Young's, began operation as one unit in October 2006, brewing all the Young's brand ales alongside Charles Wells drinks.
The combined company is now one of the top three brewers in the UK and boasts two of the fastest growing brands with Wells Bombardier and Young's Bitter.