Stella Artois strip pub signs of clothes
Stella Artois Unfiltered, the beer ‘au naturel’, invited artists to reimagine icons of the UK culture, the pub signs, naked.
“The UK is being stripped of its pubs. To help them revive, we stripped something else: their signs. Stella Artois Unfiltered, the beer ‘au naturel’, invited artists to reimagine icons of the UK culture, the pub signs, naked. Modern painters such as Reuben Dangoor, Becki Gill and Bernadette Timko portrayed Kings, Queens, Lords totally au naturel. Revealing a royal modesty here. An imperial side-boob there. No aristocratic private part was kept under wraps.
You can bid on the art originals or buy a limited edition print of your favourite art, with all profits going to help pubs in partnership with Hospitality Action (reg. charity 1101083). Buy nude art. Help pubs.” – Stella Artois statement
A series of cheeky pub signs, including ‘The Cricketers’ reimagined by artist Reuben Dangoor, starring a batsman saving his blushes with a strategically placed bat. The eleven-piece collection includes a new view of ‘Queen Victoria’, created by Sam Rees-Price, and a new portrait of HRH King Charles for ‘The Kings Head’ by Heath Kane, that has been unveiled ahead of the coronation in May.
The nude signs are available for online auction, and prints of each are also available to buy, with all profits being donated to Hospitality Action to assist pubs with rising energy bills. Funds raised by the collection, inspired by Stella Artois Unfiltered, will also see up to £50,000 donated in matched funds by the lager brand.
Meg Chadwick, from Stella Artois:
“As a brand committed to tackling big issues within our communities, we wanted to offer our support to pubs during this challenging time. As bastions of British culture, pubs deserve to be valued as much as any piece of art hanging in a gallery, which is why we wanted to use this traditional medium – albeit with a cheeky twist – to support them. We want to raise as much money as possible so art and pub lovers – buy nude art, help pubs.”
In a poll of 2,000 adults, 77 per cent said it is ‘sad to see’ so many nearby watering holes closing down in recent years – as data from Hospitality Action revealed applications for financial support are up by 29 per cent from the previous year.
More than four in 10 (43 per cent) think pubs can be a lifeline for members of their community, and 42 per cent feel they are a great place for everyone to come together. But with so many struggling, one in three pop in to do their bit to keep their local afloat, and 55 per cent have called on the Government to do more to support the hospitality industry.
The research also revealed the memorable moments the nation has had in pubs, with 27 per cent trying to impress someone on a first date in a free house. New friendships blossomed over a drink for 35 per cent, as well as new relationships for 25 per cent.
While 12 per cent even went on to marry someone they met at a nearby tavern. It also emerged 41 per cent think it is a rite of passage to watch significant cultural events in a pub.
