Here’s a pic of a stretch of the incredibly important Bridgewater canal in the middle of the city of Manchester, taken recently at lunchtime en route to The Sevenoak pub up in Chinatown for a smooth pint of Black Sheep.
The Bridgewater turbo-powered the industrial revolution of the eighteenth century that transformed the world (sorry about that folks – Manchester, so much to answer for…), but it holds a more recent significance for all you advertising heads in the room.
This length of canal connects the Oxford Road culvert and the village, and today is masked from general view by modern office buildings running parallel to Whitworth Street.
However, back in 1991 it doubled for Venice, as it was the location for the shoot of an iconic Boddingtons beer ad. The “cream of Manchester” campaign, created by BBH, propelled the Manc ale brand to a cooler, younger, global audience, and in the process made a sex symbol out of Mmmmmelanie Sykes.
Canals, see? A real treet.
Check the ad here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGg4uhGfgB0&feature=related
Note the comp’ed in factory chimneys on the left in the wide reveal shot at the end – they ain’t really there but the effect is great.
EDIT: the actress in this ad is actually the very accomplished Anna Chancellor; Melanie only arrived later in the campaign.
“That Gladys Althorpe, she never buys her own”
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