Top 10 Blokes campaigns: videos

While other sectors used their advertising budgets to attract shopaholic ladies some time ago, licensed trade brands have always known it's blokes that hold the purse strings as far as the pub goes.

So what have been the best attempts to get men to part with their hard-earned cash? Gemma McKenna takes a look at some of the best blokes' adverts of all time.

1. John Smith's Top Bombing​

Classic images of comedian Peter Kay showcasing his sporting prowess, or lack thereof, were used to great comic effect to bring the brand's "no nonsense" approach to life. Following the complex, elegant moves executed by professional divers, Kay's character John Smith appears atop the diving board and bombs into the pool, soaking the judges and winning the gold. The campaign started in May 2002 — timed to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in August — and ran until December 2004.

2. Boddington's Cream of Manchester with Melanie Sykes​

In September 1997 Melanie Sykes joined Boddington's Cream of Manchester campaign for its fifth ad. The campaign was launched in 1990, with its first TV ad screened in September 1992. The series scooped a number of international advertising accolades along the way. The brand's creaminess was emphasised through face cream, ice cream, sun cream, whipped cream... the list could go on. July 1999 saw Boddington's branch out with new ads based on Chilled Creaminess.

3. Budweiser's Wassup!​

The catchy yet undeniably irritating slogan became common parlance in 1999 when the ads first launched during Monday night football in the USA. It became a global pop-culture phenomenon, lasting until well after the ads disappeared from our screens in 2002. The commercials were based on a short film called True, which was a big hit at small film festivals in the States before coming to the attention of canny advertising executives at Anheuser-Busch.

4. Strongbow's Hard Earned​

Scottish & Newcastle UK unleashed a multi-media campaign celebrating the country's "grafters" and the unsung contribution they make to our daily lives, on 24 May 2009. One man stands before a group of battle-weary construction workers, welders and scaffolders. He delivers a Mel Gibson's Braveheart-style rousing, tongue-in-cheek speech about the work these men do, and drives them forward with the thought that their efforts will be rewarded by a cool, refreshing pint of Strongbow at the end of a hard day's grind. The campaign will run until October.

5. Carling's Mates​

Molson Coors first broke the You Know Who Your Mates Are campaign in late November 2007, with two 60-second advertisements on TV and in cinema. The ads track the adventures of five friends as they travel through space looking for a good night out, and then onto a polar expedition. The third ad, in May 2008, saw four of the intrepid troupe rescue their fifth member from stifling servitude in the Wild West.

6. Carlsberg's entire series of If Carlsberg did... ads​

The World According To Carlsberg campaign, summarised by the closing tagline of "If Carlsberg did…", was an evolution of the "Probably the best lager in the world" advertising, which first launched in the 1970s. We first witnessed "If Carlsberg did holidays" back in 2001, since then we've seen how they would do agents, nightclubs, the particularly memorable "flatmates" in 2004, Chinese, Old Lions, karaoke and barbecues. The most recent was goal celebrations. There are plenty more ideas for the brand to explore.

7. Drambuie's Drambuie Pursuit​

Drambuie, the Scotch whisky liqueur, was invented at the behest of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 and Drambuie Pursuit builds on this. Now in its third year, the pursuit celebrates the brand heritage by retracing the prince's steps across the Scottish Highlands as he fled the British Army. Testosterone levels run at a high on this 100-mile modern reinvention of the chase. It allows for high-octane adventures including archery, white-water rafting, dune buggy and speedboat racing.

8. Big D Nuts' Big D girls​

What better way to market nuts than to use a scantily-clad, buxom young lady in your ads? Obvious it may be, but the campaign, which has been running since the 1970s, keeps running. Beverley, the first Big D girl, reached the peak of her popularity in 1984, posing as a boxer and Olympic relay star. She retired in the late 1980s amid a national outcry. The '90s climate of political correctness meant the Big D babe went missing until 2002. Malene Espensen, the current model, even fronts a saucy calendar for the brand.