Shepherd Neame signs deal with Holsten

Shepherd Neame may well have to tone down its jingoistic Spitfire advertising campaign after signing an agreement with Germany's Holsten Brauerei from Hamburg.

The Kent-based company has signed a deal which will see it obtain exclusive UK rights to brew Holsten Export draught lager and distribute the brand within its pub estate and free trade customers.

Holsten Export, brewed strictly to Reinheitsgebot, the German purity law of 1516, will be brewed alongside Shepherd Neame's other international lager brands such as Kingfisher from India, and Oranjeboom from Holland.

Jeremy Main, Holsten UK managing director, said: "We are delighted to be gaining new distribution with Shepherd Neame and working with it on Holsten Export draught, particularly in London and the South East, where the brand has its most loyal customer base."

Jonathan Neame, managing director of Shepherd Neame, commented: "We have a significant reputation for our lagers and we are delighted to be able to add Holsten Export to our portfolio. The brand has excellent consumer recognition and will add to the choice we offer our customers."

In December last year, London Underground ordered the removal of a series of five Spitfire tubecards after alleging that they were upsetting German tourists. The tubecards, part of the award-winning "Bottle of Britain" campaign, featured copylines such as "Have the sunbeds, we're going to the bar," "Votz zo funny about zeez posters," and "Rear gunners drink lager shandy".

In 1998 and 1999 Spitfire posters with the copylines "Downed all over Kent, just like the Luftwaffe," and "No fokker comes close," resulted in complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.