Foster’s helps mates reconnect using their native language with ‘Love You Cans’ via Publicis London

Publicis London has launched “Love You Cans”, its debut work with Foster’s, part of Heineken UK’s lager portfolio. Founded in Melbourne in 1888, Foster’s is a lager with a proud Australian heritage and a long-standing presence in the UK.

The work sees the iconic Foster’s can lose its wordmark to make way for the unconventional and authentic love language of British men: rude nicknames. The campaign aims for mates to use the cans to reach out to one another.

The work draws on new research which found that as they get older, British men are increasingly losing touch with their friends, with 61% of men surveyed admitting that reaching out to reconnect can feel awkward or uncomfortable. The research also found that many men find it less awkward to express affection through light-hearted mock insults – 59% of British millennial men say calling their mates a crude nickname is how they show that they care, while almost half (48%) say these nicknames help them to break the ice with friends they have lost touch with.*

‘Love You Cans’ invites men to break the ice with their mates by sending them a tinnie, emboldened with the words “b*llend, d**khead, kn*bhead, t*sser or w*nker”, as a gesture of authentic and light-hearted bonding. People can gift one of these cans of Foster’s to a friend, branded with their chosen nickname, by visiting www.loveyoucans.com.

The campaign has launched nationwide across bold digital out-of-home, social and influencer activity. The bold DOOH and OOH fly-posters spotlight the playful nicknames of the campaign, with tactical placements in Cardiff, London, Manchester and Newcastle. Media planning and buying was handled by Dentsu.

Additionally, social films by creators including Ryan Sullivan and Big John further encourage people to reach out to their mates by sending a “Love You Can”.

Consumer PR from COW supports the campaign’s focus on connection, grounded in the insight that 69% of men say mates’ holidays are an important way to maintain friendships. A national competition will offer friends looking to reconnect the chance to win an epic reunion trip across Australia to the country’s many and varied towns and outposts called ‘Knob’.

Says Noël Bunting, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis London: “When you combine such a gift of an insight with the brand personality of Foster’s, you know you have the chance to capture men’s attention like never before and have a meaningful impact on friendships nationwide. We’re extremely proud of this campaign, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of w**kers, b**lends and d**kheads to pull off the massive effort.”

Says Veronica Sica, Beer Marketing Director, Heineken: “We know that when men lose touch with their mates, they can feel awkward to reach out again. With Foster’s ‘Love You Cans’ we want to champion and celebrate the authentic language of mateship and turn it into something meaningful, memorable and unmistakably Foster’s. By reframing the way men tease each other as an act of care, we’re giving a fresh twist to ‘Good Call’ by making reconnecting feel effortless, genuine and brilliantly Aussie, preferably with a Foster’s in hand.”

CLIENT: Foster’s
CMO: Rajeev Sathyesh
Marketing Director: Veronica Sica
Senior Brand Manager: Zach Jordan
Brand Manager: Ciara Ryan
Senior Brand PR Manager: Ellie Hill
Global Marketing Graduate: Joe Simpson

ADVERTISING AGENCY:  Publicis London
CEO: Trent Patterson
CCO: Noel Bunting
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Tom Dixon
SENIOR CREATIVE TEAMS: James White & Henry Finnegan, Nian He & Tiago Beltrame
DESIGNER: Dave Stansfield, Lorna Milligan, Dan Wood
PLANNER: Katie Hibbard (Head of strategy), Guillermo Ibeas
BUSINESS LEAD: Josh Norris
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Emma Tacon
ACCOUNT MANAGER: Sneha Bansal
MEDIA BUYING AGENCY: Dentsu
MEDIA PLANNER:  Niamh Flynn
CONSUMER PR AGENCY: This is COW

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