Those wacky Aussies

[artlover]

Foster's is running new ads in the USA. One has a guy in front of a house with a for sale sign. When he sees that it is located next to a Foster's pub, he instantly decides to buy the house. In another, a girl is shouting at her boyfriend and throwing his personal effects out the window. He promises to buy her a Foster's and she forgives him*.

Tag line: Foster's--It's Australian for Beer.

The ads convey the impression that Foster's is the national beverage of Australia.

I thought I would ask the experts . Are these ads totally off-base or only somewhat off-base? Or have they delved into Aussie culture and found a pearl of wisdom.

* PS. The actress playing the angry GF was attractive, but the casting agent should have called Abby!

[Havemercy]

As a fellow 'merkin, Artlover, the impression I have is that any self-respecting Aussie would not be caught dead drinking Fosters. It's probably the same phenomenon by which Budweiser is perceived as the predominant American beer brand. In other words, just because it is heavily advertised doesn't mean it's the best, and far from the "national beverage."

However, they're more than willing to sell that image to gulible Americans whose only impressions of Oz come from Crocidile Dundee and Outback Steakhouse. And Fosters is actually produced in Canada, not Australia.

HM

[susie]

No pub I have ever worked in has even stocked Fosters, its that bad!

s

[yarnie]

We aussies also have a more popular beer here called Crown lager, which is a premium beer. Although few know it, I believe it is actually the same beer as fosters in taste and brewing, except that it has tighter variance... like Fosters can have a 7% variance in taste but Crown can only have 2%. Also its packaging and price is, of course more upmarket.

However the classic 'aussie' beer (well for myself as a Victorian anyway) would have to be Victoria Bitter or VB. I think these radio ads say it all.

A series of these ads have been running for around 20 years on Australian TV and Radio.

http://www.fosters.com.au/beer/about/brands/beer/media/vicbitter_song.mp3

More recently the ads took a funnier approach, that still managed to maintain the same brand values. Worth a listen...

http://www.fosters.com.au/beer/about/brands/beer/media/DriveThrough.mp3

More beer info and samples of the ad can be found here...

http://www.fosters.com.au/beer/about/brands/beer/vic_bitter.asp

[artlover]

by which Budweiser is perceived as the predominant American beer brand

Oh that is depressing...

[Ozboy24]

ive been enjoying ye olde cascade premium lagers lately.
tasty beverage that!

[Philos]

ive been enjoying ye olde cascade premium lagers lately.
tasty beverage that!

There used to be stuff called "beer". It came in a wooden barrel and had to be allowed to settle before it was poured. It was pumped up to the bar, not blown there by compressed CO₂ and it was served at just below room temperature. Now nearly all the ale in our pubs is factory-made, lager-like, cold, fizzy stuff. To compare one brand with another seems rather like re-arranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic. I can still drink the real thing, but I have to go 20 miles (to a museum!) to get it.

[oncall]

And Fosters is actually produced in Canada, not Australia.
HM

Beer (Finally a topic I am knowledgeable in....... )

You are correct that Fosters is produced in Canada but it is an Aussie brand.The Fosters group bought the Carling O'Keefe brewing group in 1987 which allowed Fosters to expand it's operations to mass produce beer for the North American market. It bought a brewery in Canada and not USA because it was allowed to brew beer with higher alcohol content (not the restricted limit of alc. content in the USA at the time. Don't know if this is still the case with the major brands)

Foster's is actually brewed in many contries, for example England, Ireland, Sweden, India, China, Fiji, Vietnam, Samoa etc.

Now to confuse you even more and to get the USA mentioned for some of our boardmembers, Fosters is named after its founders who were two brothers, William and Ralph Foster who were actually imigrants to Melbourne from the USA in 1887.

As Havemercy said it is like Budweiser in the US, in the fact it is not a popular beer in Australia. It sells quite well to tourists and at its branded major sporting events but it is not on tap in 90% of the pubs in Aussie.

Thats enough for now..........

[Jorinel]

I can still drink the real thing, but I have to go 20 miles (to a museum!) to get it.

I'm curious, Philos: we are in the same area, I see, so where is this museum - Burton, perhaps? URL?

Jorinel

[artlover]

That would be a great episode of the Simpsons. Homer gets lost in the beer museum.

Foster's--it's Australian/English/American/Samoan/Vietnamese/Fijian/Canadian for beer. By the time the announcer says all that, you've used up the whole commercial...

[Philos]

I'm curious, Philos: we are in the same area, I see, so where is this museum - Burton, perhaps? URL?

Hi Jorinel

The pub in the museum is here - you surely know the place!

[Jorinel]

The pub in the museum is here - you surely know the place!

Hi Philos

Thanks for that. It must be ten years at least since I visited the Black Country Museum - and I don't remember seeing the pub back then. I live the other end of the West Midlands and no longer have a reason for frequent trips to Dudley... I will bear it in mind for a future expedition. <- dying for a pint!

Jorinel

[nursefan]

Anyone wanting ale that is allowed to settle before it is poured could go to the Great British Beer festival held in Olympia (London) - 6 August. Highly recommended.

[PSP714]

XXXX is the only beer an aussie needs to drink, and yes my friends i am one of those

Do not compare the stuff brewed in the UK under licence, it should never have been.

[Yealith]

XXXX is the only beer an aussie needs to drink,

Ha, Castlemaine's XXXX was my favourite beer when I lived in Queensland / Australia back in 1988

[BigSpud]

Are you sure you want to be drinking beer?

I have it from a reliable source that beer drinking can change your perspective on some things.

[Yealith]

I have it from a reliable source that beer drinking can change your perspective on some things.

... so nothing wrong with drinking beer then .... or should the effect be the other way round

[Luxman]

... so nothing wrong with drinking beer then .... or should the effect be the other way round

The problem is, after drinking beer you see the beautiful girl that you take home, and when you wake up the other morning, you'll see the reality, urgh!

Lxm

[Alexis]

Foster's is terrible....

Most of my male mates drink Carlton Cold, Cascade or VB if absolutely necessary... or if they're feeling rich they'll suck on a Corona with a slice of lime.

Me? Screw the beer, I'll have a milk mixer any day

[susie]

Yeah! i don't mind a pre-mixed milky drink myself. Those Baileys Glides are awesome. But I do love my beer. I am definitely a bit of a Coopers fan. Yum.

Oh, so thirsty now!

s

[Alexis]

I'm looking at experimenting to make my own version of a Glide.... a dash of Baileys, some top-notch full cream milk... and perhaps infuse it with a vanilla pod for a while, or add some liquid extract... (maybe even with Tia Maria?) I can't justify the cost of the pre-mixed bottles when the pure stuff is less than the cost of 6 mixers... heh.

[Yealith]

Oh, talking about Baileys, just remember the time when I used to make my very own egg liqueur. Have to do it again
I use the finest ingredients: egg yolk, Kirsch, fresh dairy cream and sugar. I l'll serve that next time when I have special guests, hehe.

[Luxman]

Oh, talking about Baileys, just remember the time when I used to make my very own egg liqueur. Have to do it again
I use the finest ingredients: egg yolk, Kirsch, fresh dairy cream and sugar. I l'll serve that next time when I have special guests, hehe.

Sounds good. When do I get to taste it?

Lxm

[BigSpud]

Sounds good. When do I get to taste it?

Lxm

Not before me!

[Luxman]

Not before me!

Want to bet?

Lxm

[BigSpud]

Want to bet?

Lxm

Yes!

I'll bet that Yealith (who seems like a very nice guy) would send me a sample (by mail, fax, electronically or some other means) or would just make you wait until I can get to Switzerland to taste it.

(No matter how long that might take).



You will do that won't you Yealith? Please??

[Luxman]

Yes!

You'll lose!

Lxm

[BigSpud]

You'll lose!

Lxm

Even if I do lose, I will have tried mightily!

Psst, Yealith. There is a secret message at the end of this post. Please read it.


Yealith, Please don't give in to Luxman's power. Remember it says "wields limited power". You can stand up to him!

Thanks, Spud

[Philos]

In England, we have a saying about conversations like this: "It's the beer talking"

Cheers!

[jseas]

Foster's is terrible....

Most of my male mates drink Carlton Cold, Cascade or VB if absolutely necessary... or if they're feeling rich they'll suck on a Corona with a slice of lime.

Me? Screw the beer, I'll have a milk mixer any day

Somewhat off point, but I didn't recognize you, Alexis, and went back and looked through your great shoot from last year, along with the Dressing Room sequence, which has a kind of 70s feel about it and was very nice as well. Glad you're commenting so that I got a chance to rediscover you. Thanks.