JW Lees comes under fire for sexist marketing

05-Nov-2014 - Last updated on 26-Jun-2024 at 11:22 GMT

Critics have called the campaign "prehistoric marketing"

Manchester brewery JW Lees has come under fire for a campaign that urges drinkers to stay out for one more pint.

Adverts for the Blame John campaign state:

“Fancy a pint but the missus wants you home? Blame John. Text BLAME JOHN to 80010 and we will text you the perfect excuse from your mate to stay out late.”

Critics point out the campaign is sexist and there have been calls on Twitter for the brewery to pull the campaign and apologise. It is accused of “prehistoric marketing”, “negative gender stereotyping” and “alienating potential customers.”

@JWLeesBrewery Way to alienate at least 50% of your potential audience guys. Thanks for trying to reverse positive trends in @Caskreport
— Pete Brown (@PeteBrownBeer) November 5, 2014

Shall we all #blameJohn and @JWLeesBrewery for #beersexism, a spectacular advertising #fail and excluding women from the beer industry?
— Stop beer sexism now (@StopBeerSexism) November 5, 2014

In a statement the brewery said: “We would like to apologise to the few people who found the recent Dear John campaign offensive. It was only ever intended as a light hearted, tongue-in-cheek campaign.”

Can't blame John for this one. Sincere apologies for any offence caused, our intention was to raise more glasses than eyebrows.
— JW Lees (@JWLeesBrewery) November 5, 2014

UPDATE 07/11

JW Lees said in a statement: “Following the comments made by a few people on Twitter earlier this week, JW Lees is currently looking into the wider marketing for the Blame John campaign. However, as a large number of our customers have enjoyed using the text service in the light-hearted way it was intended, we will continue to provide it for both men and women who see the text excuses as tongue-in-cheek fun.”

The campaign was originally launched as part of Cask Ale Week in September and was promoted via PoS, social media activity and a PR drive.

Previous campaign

Last year the brewery was lauded for its campaign to promote its Manchester Pale Ale, which featured a flash mob of ballet dancing Liam Gallagher lookalikes in London’s Covent Garden. It has received nearly 20,000 views on You Tube.

It is the latest blow for the beer industry, long accused of misogyny, after CAMRA was forced to pull a Young Members recruitment flyer after calls of “beer sexism.”