Publican welcomes 'fit, fat and fugly' people for Valentine's event
Craig Harker, owner of Oscar's Gin Bar, Stockton-On-Tees, Durham, said "he didn't want to leave anyone out" when he came up with his latest "tongue-in-cheek" poster for his site's Valentine's Day event.
The poster, advertising the bar's "undateables' night", says "fit, fat or fugly" are all welcome, offering drinks deals for one.
The publican has been forced to defend posters before after advertising his pub the George Pub & Grill's German night with his chef performing a Nazi salute and wearing a swastika, and one that asked "would you punch your ex in the face for a parmo?".
Both adverts were taken so seriously he was ordered to take them down by the Adverting Standards Agency (ASA).
Flip this round
"We decided to do it because my other two pubs, the George Pub & Grill, and the Buck Inn, are nearly fully booked for food," explained Harker.
"That's more for the couples, so we get the tablecloths out, the red candles, and things like that. And we were going to do something like that for Oscar's, like a pot of tea for two.
"But, I said, we need to flip this round. We should be catering for the other side, the single side. So I've got the pubs doing the couples thing and, with the gin bar, let's get the people who want to go out, who are single, or might go out with a friend that is single, for the night."
He continued: "Normally we do drink sales for two on a weekend, but on that night, we will be certain drinks on offer for one."
Talking previously to The Morning Advertiser on his posters, Harker said that his promotions and marketing won't change and that he will continue to do "what he feels will get people into the pubs".
