1888... A Vintage Year for Beer

LONDON, May 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Foster's celebrates 125 years of true refreshment

Foster's is inviting UK drinkers to raise a glass to the brand's 125^th anniversary with the launch of a new campaign that celebrates Foster's proud history of refreshment.

The Foster's story began in Melbourne in 1888, when Ralph and William Foster first introduced the people of Australia, who were previously used to drinking warm beer in searing temperatures, to a beer specially brewed for true refreshment. Foster's lager was hailed by the media at the time as "the beer of the future," and went on to become 'Australia's famous Amber Nectar.'

The ad opens in the heat of an Australian summer, with a large gathering of people staring, transfixed, at the front of the Melbourne Town Hall. William and Ralph Foster stand alongside the mayor as they wait nervously, hoping to impress him with a refreshing pint of Foster's.

Tension mounts as the mayor slowly raises the glass of Foster's to his lips; he savours the refreshment enthusiastically and excitedly proclaims the new lager as a 'little ripper!"

Gayle Harrison, Brand Director- Foster's at HEINEKEN said:  "Everyone knows Foster's is an Australian lager, but consumers in this country know relatively little about the beer's unique heritage and refreshment credentials. It's a sobering thought, but without the innovative thinking of William and Ralph Foster, we might still be drinking warm beer today!"

As part of its anniversary year, Foster's is also set to launch limited edition 1888-style packaging and glassware later this year.    

Ten facts that may not know about Foster's:

1. Nearly 3 million pints of Foster's are consumed a day in the UK

2. William and Ralph spent £48,000 on their brewery with the Australian Brewers' journal commenting that "It far excels any brewery that we have seen in Australasia

3. In 1889, Foster's won the prize of "The Highest Award against the World" at the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition

4. When it was launched, the beer revolutionised the beer market in Australia, leading the media to hail it as "the beer of the future"

5. Foster's was first sold in heavy brown bottles with a wire down cork

6. Comedian Barry Humphries made Foster's famous in the UK - he created a cartoon strip entitled 'The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie' and later a film entitled 'The Adventures of Barry McKenzie' in which he was constantly yearning for an ice cold Foster's.

7. Top Aussie comic Paul Hogan appeared in Foster's TV ads in the 1980s and Foster's is today the leading sponsor of UK comedy with credits that include the sponsorship of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and the British Comedy Awards.

8. Foster's is currently sold in over 130 countries around the world

9. Since it was launched in 2011, premium bottled lager Foster's Gold has enjoyed huge success and already worth over £37 million in annual sales.

10. In March 2013, Foster's is set to launch Foster's Radler, which offers Foster's lager cut with natural, cloudy lemon juice at 2% ABV

For more information about Foster's 1888 visit: fosters.co.uk/1888

To watch more Foster's beer adverts click here

For further information, please contact the team on +44-(0)20-7693-6999 or email fosters@frankpr.it

SOURCE Foster's