'DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT'

Each month a senior buyer from our

panel talks anonymously and candidly about the latest brand developments

It was when my contact at InBev started referring to Stella as Stella Artois, that I knew a repositioning of the brand was imminent.

So with the priests on ice skates taking a well-deserved rest, it's over to a new campaign of colourful, factual and vaguely humorous poster and magazine ads. I don't dislike them - and I quite like the chalice glasses, too, although I'm not sure I can see lottery winner Mikey Carroll sipping his Stella with his little finger cocked...

The campaign has good executions. I like the lady wearing a hop as an earring - it reminds me of the brand's "reassuringly expensive" days.

But I did feel vaguely patronised when I opened last week's copy of Time Out magazine, where one of the adverts suggested that I might not know where Belgium was. Do they think I possess no grey cells at all?

The other version I liked referred to the "Nice Family". It's good to see that Mr and Mrs Stella have kissed and made-up, with the brand's former nickname well and truly behind them.

So to recap: a good series of adverts which are colourful, tasteful and project an image of heritage. Also, they're subtle and quirky.

But it's such a shame for a brand projecting this type of image that any Tom, Dick or Mikey can go down to their local Asda and pick up almost a pallet-load for under a tenner - a reassuringly inexpensive price.

But perhaps that remark is unfair, as I have been asked to review the adverts rather than the complex issue of on-trade pricing versus off-trade.

So let's end on a completely serious note. Fair play to the marketing men and women at InBev for what they are doing with the image of a - let's face it - very good beer. And like the beer, the adverts do show taste.