Brains to tackle French advertising ban

Welsh brewer Brains has come up with a solution to the French ban on alcohol advertising during the Six Nations.

The brewer, the official shirt and ale sponsor of the Welsh rugby team, plans to ensure the brand will not be overlooked when Wales play France on February 27.

The new "Try Essai" branding on the shirt for the game is intended to reference the "Brains SA" branding on the current home shirt.

While "essai" translates as "try" in French, spoken aloud it is intended to be mistaken for an invitation to "try" the team's official beer Brains SA.

Richard Davies, sales and marketing director at Brains said: "This is the third time we've been presented with a shirt change for the French game, which we've always seen as an opportunity rather than a problem.

"We knew we had to do something different this year but that we still had to have fun with it. We believe "Try Essai" is our best link back to our main brand, SA. It also helps carry the message that a Welsh rugby international is simply not complete without a pint of SA."