Sexy Greene King Abbot ad faces ban

Greene King beer brand Abbot Ale, more often associated with mature ale drinkers, has had its latest ad rejected by The Mail On Sunday for being too sexually suggestive.

The newspaper is thought to have believed the ad referred to oral sex.

The ad, created by McCann-Erickson, features a woman writhing on a bed with the strapline “Some things get better given longer”.

A spokeswoman for McCann-Erickson confirms the paper’s decision, adding that it is the only paper taking this stance. The Mail On Sunday was unavailable for comment as Marketing Week went to press.

The ad is part of a &£500,000 campaign to reposition the premium cask ale, which has seen the beer’s mediaeval abbot icon reduced in prominence. The beer has retained the same brown glass bottle.

The contentious line refers to Abbot’s extended brewing process, a long-standing selling point . The ad ran in The Times last Saturday and is being placed in other press.