Carlton & United Breweries has announced it is boosting production of Foster’s classic by 300 per cent as it looks to capitalise on consumer nostalgia.
CUB’s Head of Classic brands Hayden Turner said the beer was being relaunched as local drinkers were looking to return to trusted iconic brands.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led Aussies to embrace nostalgia and yearn for simpler times,” Turner said.
“Foster’s is an iconic brand Australians know and trust so it is really no surprise drinkers have told us they want more. We’re confident Foster’s can continue to grow again and develop a strong following like Melbourne Bitter and Reschs have done recently.”
Turner said with COVID-19 causing tough economic times, CUB is making it easier for people by launching a value-for-money Foster’s 30-can slab that will be competitive with affordable rivals.
Foster’s remains one of Australia’s most recognisable brands thanks to memorable advertising fronted by Paul Hogan in the 1980s. While international sales have remained strong in recent years, local sales declined, replaced by the much-loved CUB brands like Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught.
Foster’s was created by two Irish-American brothers, William M. and Ralph R. Foster, who arrived in Melbourne from New York in 1886. The brothers began brewing Foster’s Lager in November 1888 and it was made available to the public from February 1889. It was the first beer to pioneer cold beer and it is still brewed at Melbourne’s Abbotsford Brewery.