Hops dashed for Ash Vine brewery

Marketers from Bedford brewer Charles Wells and Somerset’s Ash Vine brewery are unlikely to be sharing a pint in the near future.

Relations are “aleing” after a new campaign for Charles Wells’ Bombardier English Premium Bitter used the strapline “Land of Hops and Glory”. For the people at Ash Vine that was too close for comfort to their own beer called Hop & Glory, which they have been selling for over seven years.

One “embittered” Ash Vine supporter comments: “It is a shame that a company with the resources of Charles Wells or Saatchi & Saatchi [the agency responsible for the campaign] did not research the market and find the phrase was already being used. The cynic in me wonders whether they did see our bottle but noting the size of the company, they knew they could get away with it.”

The cynical Diary thinks he’s probably right.