Slick £1 million makeover for Marston's Pedigree beer

The story of Marston's brewery in Burton upon Trent, the spiritual home of UK brewing, is at the heart of the new campaign for the Wolverhampton-based Marston's Group.

Marston's is investing more than £1 million over the next 12 months on new look of the range, which includes the iconic Marston's Pedigree and the newly created 61 Deep, including new packaging, pump clips and point of sale materials.

A new advertising campaign, 'From Burton With Love' shot by photographer Gavin Watson will depict the brand's proud Burton upon Trent roots and brewing back story using local people, locations and everyday situations.

In addition to a new beer range, Marston's Burton upon Trent brewery will develop a range of new small-batch beers in DE14, a new 600-pint innovation brewery inspired from the brewery's postcode.

Lee Williams, marketing manager for Marston's Brewery said: "The harsh reality is that as a brewer, we're not resonating with the next generation of drinkers who are attracted to the authenticity and simplicity of the new beer scene. For them it's real and it resonates.

"Talk to anyone working at our brewery in Burton though and you realise that we're no different and share the same passion and love for what we do. So you could say this is just about us presenting ourselves in a new and honest way.

"We need the next generation to consider our beers, perhaps for the first time and discover that they love the taste too – just as generations before have done and still do."

Burton is world famous for the gypsum-rich water that is used to brew its beers and Marston's has put this unique story front and centre of its new campaign with the newly created 61 Deep, a 3.8 per cent fruity pale ale that simply refers to the depth of one of the brewery's own fresh water wells.

Its 4.5 per cent classic Burton pale ale was named Pedigree in 1952 following a staff competition.

Head brewer at the time, George Peard, oversaw the name change so Marston's has recognised the role he played by placing him centre stage in its new imagery along with the Marston's three barrel logo. Oyster Stout, a 4.5 per cent beer, will become Pearl Jet a name drawn from the stout's style and its jet black colour.

Inspired by the last ever railway engine at the brewery - a Saddle Tank No. 3581 - that used to bring the hops and malts in and deliver the beer casks out, Burton Bitter has the new name of Saddle Tank.

Richard Westwood, The Sedgley-born managing director of Marston's Brewing Company said: "This is an important move for us and signifies a bold and fundamental change in the way we celebrate our heritage and location. It's about banishing prejudices; being exciting and intriguing to new drinkers; and putting Burton front and centre."

Gavin Watson is a social realism photographer renowned for his iconic book Skins depicting skinheads in the 1970s and 1980s.

He reputedly inspired Shane Meadows of This is England fame who grew up near Burton and studied at Burton College.

The models featured in the campaign were scouted from the streets of Burton or are Marston's employees and the photographs were shot in locations around the town depicting local scenes or typical occasions in their lives or with their mates. Marston's Brewery's head brewer Patrick McGinty features in one of the new advertisements as does Laura Houlton who lives in Dudley and works in Wolverhampton for Marston's as team leader for tele account management, telemarketing and national accounts and has worked in the city for 12 years.

Mr McGinty said the new small-batch beers from Burton will turn up at national festivals and events and in bars a bit closer to home initially. Every member of the brewing team want to show what we can do on DE14 – as well as inviting some special collaborators to join us too," he explained.