Hofmeister 'Follow the Bear' advert

[staffsyeoman]

I used to drink this rubbish because I was a Warwickshire Cricket Club Fan (same badge...) Thank god I saw sense...

[ROCKSOLID19]

Haven't drank the stuff for years. Worse than Guinness.

[vania1013]

the bear suit is in a musuem off the old kent road

its only £4 entrance have loads of advert stuff go and see it

[omnicarthulas247]

Ahh the memory it bring tears to the eyes LOL

[Gmancrap]

The actually bear prop is for sale. Pm me if your interested in buying or just seeing it. 

[alexthelyons]

@truefactsth

I'm not sure if it's the right one, but my dad said it was "ice cube - check yo self"

[Kwekwe]

@alexthelyons no these adverts were around years before that Ice cube tune, but there is a similarity

[truefactsth]

What backing music was used for all the commercials which were eventually ` banned`, for whatever reason? - ah,ha - Political Correctness, no doubt!

[DJPaulgee1]

@truefactsth The artist was Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5. Can't remember the name of the song tho.

[lesterroberts1]

@DJPaulgee1 The message also on Kia advert

[DJPaulgee1]

@lesterroberts1 I remembered the name of the track just after i posted my comment. You're right about this track featuring on the Kia advert. Thanks kesterroberts1

[1985SJW]

@DJPaulgee1 track was called the message.

[robsta974]

That bear is a true swifty halfster ! I bet he's rolled out the ol battle a few times ! Triffic !

[keiko909]

the bear has a cool swagger lmfao!

[Minttzz]

Phil Davis is one of the bear's mates at the bar.

[wfhpower]

These ads for Hoffmeister were withdrawn as the bearwas seen to incourage lagerlouts

[TerryNutkins80]

Those Hofmeister adverts were decade defining.....still tasted like piss though.

[squeakyadam]

it was bl**dy awful weak fizzy bland lager

[AdmiralBirdseye]

I take it they weren't allowed to use Grandmaster Flash's 'The Message' for the soundtrack.

[lazydays11]

I WOULD RATHER DRINK MY OWN PISS !

[daz4421]

whats wrong with bears piss?

[rjbride]

They left out the bit at the end where he gets involved in fracas with a pool cue in the pub car park.

[fenix182]

Hahahaha! Nice one, well said! :P

[Mancunian1001]

Brilliant advert. Did anybody notice the W.H Davies reference in the advert ('stand and stare' from the poem 'Leisure')?

[theenglandyoda]

haha always wanted to see this add... :)

[tommmoglanville]

Awesome

[berlinmitte10117]

Go into a pub dressed like that today and you would get the s*$t kicked out of you! Sad...

[DevilsDespise]

'Hey, Follow the Bear'

A friend of mine walks like him.

Shame that this ad can't be shwon today, but you're right about the childrens appeal =[

[gingerjoe1972]

What year it this 1982??

Just that the tune they are trying to rip off is 'The Messge' by Grandmaster flash & furious five, that was out Summer '82!

Any ideas?

[Ichliebegermany]

my last name is hofmeister

[tshirtsprout]

Bob Saker found fame as the voice-over of this ad !

[espiriguidiberto]

this could be aired today

[boywoolner]

No. The BACC (TV advertising's governing body) would turn down the script because the bear character would appeal to children.

[espiriguidiberto]

unfortunately it's true...but the ad is great

[RobTheBuilder]

@boywoolner That's why it was banned in the first place sadly.

[SLODCAST]

I am not so sure now that people would think this was actually continental lager and not some english shit labeled to look vaugely german. i could be wrong though, perhaps we still have no taste, look at the sales of carling...

[RobTheBuilder]

Essentially the beer makers thought we couldn't handle continental strength beer so they brought out loads of weaker versions (Skol, Carling, Hofmeister etc).

Still, this led to great advertising because you had crap that all tasted the same and needed good ads to stand out.

This is by John Webster, who also made most of the good ads of the 70s/ early 80, including Honey Monster, Cresta bear, Smash Martians, and the Jack Dee John Smiths ads.

Anyone know if thats his voice at the end?

[robinoi]

They were right - Stella Artois is known as 'old wife beater' cos those that drink it can't cope, and much could be said that all the pub and club violence that's exploded over teh past two decades is that lagers have gone from 3.4% to 5% average but noone's reduced the volumes they're drinking - that's a near 50% markup in alcohol consumption.

Hence, Becks, Stella, Carling have introduced lower ABV lagers of late.

[col2006ie]

The voice at the end is Hywel Bennett.

[xxxxemokittenxxxx]

thats my boyfriends last name loll ^_^

[j4wn]

It's amazing who you see in these old ads, that's none other than Philip Davis, playing the Bear's mate at the bar in the varsity jacket.

[Hoelfawr]

George the Hofmeister Bear competes with the "Smash" Martians for the title of the funniest British TV ad series ever!

[ADAM10121]

brilliant,

[lidz74]

got to be the best video on youtube classic stuff 10 out of 10 for uploading this clip!!!

[VirgLondon]

I remember this one, very good quality for the 80s too

[eeeehbearsy]

That's me that is!

Eeeeeh Bearsy!

[knockna123]

God bless the 80's. Apprently he was head of the Millwall firm

[rpvids]

I used to love these commercials, George reminded me of a bloke that drank in my local.

Glad someone posted these vids.

[Rackabello]

this is brilliant, too bad you'd never get away with a beer advert like this in the US

[lezbriddon]

why? from what i've seen of American ads, anything goes, hell look at magic bullet, its not a bullet, its not magic, and wont do half of what it says on the infomercial!

[uncledavey80]

arghhhhhh, brilliant!

[1majortosser]

Class