| Carling Black label | |
|---|---|
| Location | Canada |
| Owner(s) | Molson Coors Brewing Company |
| Year opened | 1840 |
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.
Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa. In Sweden it is known as Carling Premier.
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The history of Carling dates back to 1818, when Thomas Carling, a farmer from the English county of Yorkshire, took his family to eastern Canada, settling at what is now the city of London, Ontario. During his first year there Carling cleared a small area of land. He called on his neighbours, Richard Walden, to help at a "stumping bee", a cooperative effort in which each man brought his own oxen and tools and the land was cleared of tree stumps. All the neighbours asked in return was food and refreshment. Thomas Carling's refreshment, a home-brewed ale, was of such quality that soon he was brewing it for other stumping bees. It grew so popular that he abandoned farming for full-time brewing. The first Carling brewery was a modest affair – two kettles, a horse to turn the grinding mill and six men to work on the mash tubs. Carling was his own sales and shipping department. He started by selling his beer on the streets of London, Ontario from a wheelbarrow.
In 1840 Carling began a small brewing operation in London, Ontario, Canada, selling beer to soldiers at the local camp. By 1878, when his sons, John and William, built a new six-storey brewery in London, Carling was a household name in Canada. The new brewery was destroyed by a fire just a year after opening. Thomas Carling, shortly after helping to fight the fire, died of pneumonia.
His sons William-Beck and Johns-Isaac took over the company, naming it the W & J Carling Brewing Co. John Carling died in 1911 and the company has changed hands numerous times since. It was acquired by Canadian Breweries Limited, which was eventually re-named Carling O'Keefe, which merged with Molson, which then merged with Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Company.
In 1999 Carling achieved sales of one billion pints in the UK, breaking the previous record and strengthening its position as the best selling lager. In 2007 they sold 2.3 billion pints in the UK, over six billion worldwide. During 2009 the sales reached a new record with 4.1 billion pints, and 11.6 billion pints worldwide. The estimated worldwide sales during 2010 was 17.6 billion pints, due to a new worldwide campaign planned for the year, starting early February. Despite this, the organisation lost its sponsorship deal with the Reading and Leeds festivals, which had lasted between 1998 and 2007, resulting in lost revenue that would have been mostly made from pints sold at the events. Carling went on to lose its sponsorship deals with the UK's academy venues to O2, alongside losing the Hammersmith Apollo to LiveNation.
Carling are the main sponsors of the Scottish national football team, and from 2010–2011 will be the sponsors of the Scottish Cup. Carling are also the head sponsors of the Football League Cup, currently called the Carling Cup.
The largest pub chain in the UK, J.D. Wetherspoons, decided in September 2009 not to sell Carling anymore. They have instead entered into a seven-year exclusive deal with the Danish brewery Carlsberg.
In Q1 2011 Carling returned to Wetherspoons' pubs as part of a larger expansion that saw Amstel, Heineken and Staropramen also added to the pumps. Since its return, Carling has been sold as a mid priced lager, with Carlsberg retaining the lucrative 'cheapest pint' price previously given to Carling.
Black Label is a brand of beer well known throughout the former British Empire, where it was known for its slogan "Hey Mabel, Black Label!" The most famous slogan for this product was, "I bet he drinks Carling Black Label!" which was a reworking of an unsold campaign for the UK Milk Marketing Board, "I bet he drinks Milk!" [1] In several countries it is also known as Carling Black Label. However, in the UK it is now known as just 'Carling' - 'Black Label' was dropped in 1997 in response to public demands for a snappier call at the bar (according to the company). Black Label has the slang/street name of Zamalek in South Africa, because it is considered a strong beer. Another famous Afrikaans slogan for Black Label in South Africa is, "Black Label sê die bybel", which means The bible says one should drink Black Label.
WCRS also created hugely successful television and cinema adverts for Carling Premier. Carling Premier adverts were renowned for their unusual cinematography and stylish soundtracks. Cult film director Wim Wenders shot one commercial in Iceland, starring actor Bryan Carney and actress Rebecca Godwin showing Carney riding a bicycle on a highwire over a waterfall. This advertising campaign alone cost in excess of £1 million. All Carling Premier adverts were large budget and designed to promote the premium nature of the brand.
Carling were a major sponsor of live music in the UK, sponsoring the Academy Music Group venues (including Brixton Academy) but were replaced by O2.
Carling were the first sponsors of the FA Premier League. They began their sponsorship in 1993, one year after the league's creation, and continued until 2001 when they ended their backing and were replaced by Barclaycard. They currently sponsor Northern Ireland's IFA Premiership.