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Business is booming for an "ugly" West Country licensee who advertised his pub as offering lousy food and warm beer. David Walgrove claims that since...

Business is booming for an "ugly" West Country licensee who advertised his pub as offering lousy food and warm beer. David Walgrove claims that since his advertisement appeared in local papers, people have been thronging to his pub, the Old Barn Owl Inn, near Ilminster, in Somerset. The father of three, who runs the pub with his wife, Sandra, is no stranger to the power of advertising, having worked in the business in South Africa for many years. "The aim of the ad is to make people laugh by pretending to be negative, but then letting them read on to the positive," says David. The advert, placed in local papers to attract attention in the run-up to Christmas, carries the bold slogan: "Lousy food, warm beer and ugly landlord". It then reads on: "The menu options are really exciting. Our food is of a consistently high standard ­ pity about the landlord." David adds: "We have certainly had a positive response because we have had lots of bookings for December. And to top it all, I'm getting customers coming into the pub to tell me I'm not as ugly as they expected.

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