An expletive-laden advert for Hawkstone Lager that brand owner Jeremy Clarkson claimed was banned by the “fun police” was not rejected by industry watchdogs, The Grocer can reveal.
Posting on Instagram on Monday (14 July), the former Top Gear star claimed Hawkstone’s debut TV campaign – which features a group of 20 farmers singing “Hawkstone, f*** me, it’s good” to the tune of opera classic Flower Duet – had been “banned for some extraordinary reason”.
“I’ve made my biggest, most heartfelt, and frankly, most expensive advert ever, and it’s been banned,” Clarkson told The Sun. “The fun police in their beige offices have decided that the public can’t be trusted to watch it.
“It’s been kicked off the telly, silenced on the radio, and barred from the cinema. Apparently, it’s ’not compliant’. With what, I have no idea. Common sense?”
However, The ASA – the UK’s independent advertising regulator – told The Grocer it had not banned any adverts from Hawkstone.
“The ASA responds to complaints about ads once they’re in the public domain (which these ads are not), and we don’t comment on individual ads unless they have been subject to our formal investigation process,” a spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile Clearcast, the non-governmental organisation responsible for pre-approving most British TV advertising, also said it had not seen a copy of the ad in question.
“This particular ad has not been submitted to us for clearance,” a Clearcast spokeswoman said. “This means we have not assessed it against the BCAP code or advised on whether it was suitable for broadcast on TV.”
Radiocentre – the radio broadcasting equivalent of Clearcast – also said it had no record of being sent copies of Hawkstone ads for pre-clearance.
Clarkson launched Hawkstone in 2021. Its line-up comprises a range of beers and ciders made from British ingredients.
The brand has been approached by The Grocer for comment.
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