The Speight’s "Southern Man"

So before we get too far away from the beauty and rugged wilderness of NZ’s South Island, in one of my earlier posts I promised more to come on the concept of the Speight’s “Southern Man.”  This was something that caught my eye in a restaurant/pub we went to for dinner in Franz Josef because of this pose struck by Aaron, which he did without knowing about the poster over his head:

That poster is a beer advertising poster from Speight’s, a popular brand of beer brewed in Dunedin on NZ’s South Island.  Here's an image of the full poster:

They’ve had an ad campaign for quite some time that plays on the stereotype of a southern man.  So what are some of the characteristics of a true southern man? He:

•         rides a horse, but never rides a scooter or a moped
•         wears a Swanndri, preferably with a hoodie
•         can control a pack of dogs
•         is an expert at the game of rugby union
•         respects Laurie Mains
•         carries a whistle at all times
•         owns a pair of R.M. Williams boots, which he wears when going to town
•         does not eat quiche
•         never holds hands with his woman in public
•         makes bread in a camp oven
•         tells good farm animal jokes
•         appreciates a quality meat pie
•         owns at least two pairs of Red Band Gumboots
•         respects a woman who drinks Speight’s out of a jug

Are you picturing a rugged, outdoorsy man riding a horse in the vast rolling hills of a farm or in mountainous terrain, or sitting around a campfire discussing rugby with his mates?  There you go. 

The poster and the whole campaign seem pretty awesome – funny, full of local references and lingo I had to keep asking about, and just a tiny bit cheeky.  Was really hoping we would run into more of these posters, particularly in the Queenstown area, but apparently we didn’t hit enough bars (either that, or we weren’t sober enough in the ones we were in to notice).

Speight’s latest campaign is a search for the “perfect woman.”  So who is the perfect woman?  “The perfect woman is an all-rounder who demonstrates her personality, knowledge & strength by getting involved in the competition and having a go….Challenge yourself as you jet-boat, shoot, hammer, skin, cook and ride your way to the title.”  She probably also drinks Speight’s out of a jug, and doesn’t mind if her man never holds her hand in public.  Know a woman who fits the bill?  You might want to give her a heads up.