Brewer targets women with pin-up’s modest makeover
A BREWERY has swapped its logo of a woman in suspenders for a fighter pilot to make the beer more female-friendly.
Nottingham-based Castle Rock has brewed a beer in honour of Elsie Mo, a Second World War pin-up, since 1998 and it is one of its top-selling ales.
But now the pin-up picture has been ditched in favour in favour of a more politically correct design. With no hint of cleavage or legs, the change marks an industry-wide move to get rid of sexist beer marketing. It’s the third rebrand for the award-winning Elsie Mo.
Inspired by the historical images of US war plane nose art, the original pump clip featured a blonde pin-up in a scanty pink top. She was given a “boob job” in 2007, fulfilling the beer’s motto: “full bodied and totally irresistible”.
Colin Wilde, brewery managing director, said: “It is time to acknowledge that the sexualised presentation of Elsie Mo is not accepted by a culture that strives for, and celebrates, equality. It has always been our intention to make all of our customers feel comfortable, and we recognise that we may have let some people down.
“Over the last few years, we’ve questioned the Elsie Mo branding ourselves, as well as customers. In 2014, we rebranded Elsie, wanting to better integrate the image within the historical context intended. The consensus from our customer base was that the pump clip was improved, but the depiction of Elsie Mo remained a contentious issue.
“While we never set out to offend, we acknowledge that the pump clip – in all versions it has appeared over the years – may have been regarded as offensive and we now think the time is right to move forward.”
The rebrand has been designed to celebrate the “will and bravery of women both in times gone by and today”, without losing its heritage.
Inspiration has been taken from the female pilots who took to the skies in Spitfires, Lancasters and Hurricanes to deliver battle-ready planes to the RAF.
Mr Wilde added: “Elsie’s now in the pilot’s seat, where perhaps she should have been all along.”
Liv Auckland, Castle Rock marketing executive, said: “My aim was for it to be an empowering image – a pump clip that proudly celebrates women.”