Hawkstone, A Year’s Graft in Every Pint

British agencies have been on a bit of a hot streak over recent months, with many investing heavily in storytelling in an effort to build enduring memory structures. But even with a disproportionate focus on playful and disruptive creative approaches, it’s a reminder that long- and short-term effectiveness do not need to come to the detriment of one another. Great advertising can (and should) deliver on both – and Hawkstone’s “A Year’s Graft in Every Pint” is the latest demonstration of this.

With a very strong Cubery Rating of 6.9 (a prediction of the ad’s long-term brand building potential), the ad delivered on two critical ingredients for crafting enduring memory structures: a powerful emotional response and unmistakable brand connection.

But more than that, a highly attention-grabbing narrative, distinctive brand assets, and story that tapped into key category motivational drivers also improved the odds of Hawkstone being the next pint ordered.

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Moment-by-Moment Emotional Activation

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A pint of entertainment

Created by T&P, the idea brought Hawkstone’s promise of “Hard to make, easy to drink” vividly to life.

In a case of showing, not telling, the ad perfectly dramatized just how much effort goes into every pint – and why it’s worth protecting at all costs.

By juxtaposing slow motion visuals of a knocked over pint of beer with the energetic, cinematic montage of all the hard work that goes into making it, people were hooked from the outset.
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When celebrities work with the brand

What made Clarkson’s Farm stars Kaleb Cooper and Jeremy Clarkson particularly effective was not simply their fame, but how naturally they belonged within the Hawkstone world. Cooper’s established association with Clarkson, combined with Clarkson’s well-known connection to Hawkstone, instantly cued the brand from the outset. The result was an ad that sat in the top 10% for Brand attribution (meaning the ad couldn’t be mistaken for any other beer).

What's more, the narrative seamlessly aligned with the duo's agricultural reputation, further strengthening the long-term link back to brand, allowing both figures to act as credible embodiments of the message.
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The key takeaway

By combining Clarkson and Cooper’s established farming credentials with a simple product truth (brought to life in an entertaining way), Hawkstone delivered across all three pillars for creative effectiveness: a rich emotional response, distinctive brand connection, and clear communication of the brand’s advantages versus competitors.

The result was a campaign that didn’t simply trade on famous faces alone. It instead used them to reinforce the effort and craftsmanship that goes into making Hawkstone – positioning every pint as one worth savoring.

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