The trouble with many of these alcohol advertisements is that they use adventure sports and energetic activity to show just how masculine they are, when they are trying to target men. But what is beer really about? Most guys aren’t going to be consuming beer in advance of competing in extreme sports; they would be doing the opposite. Lion Nathan’s XXXX brand recognizes this, and it has released a series of ‘unextreme sports’ videos of activities that take place in the real world—and require minimum effort to enjoy.
   After all, if you’ve spent all that energy, what is left to spend with your mates? Beer is the social lubricant for the Australasian male: it’s the ice-breaking excuse for all on both sides of the Tasman Sea to hang out with your friends.
   XXXX recognizes that women are part of this action, too, and its introduction shows that there is such a thing as a man’s woman: a female whose company and perspective you enjoy as much as any of your guy friends’. You may even be telling her the secrets reserved only for the blokes.
   Unextreme sports may include the coaster catch: rest the coaster on the edge of the table, flick it up, and see if you can catch it ‘like a ninja’. Or beer tops, along similar lines but the coaster must land on the glass itself. Or beer cap hockey, using two beer bottles as goalposts as you shoot the beer cap between them. The key is that you do not rehearse or train for any of the sports first.
   They strengthen the idea of mateship: after all, isn’t that what we should have more of in life?


Post sponsored by Lion Nathan