CUB created a limited-edition run of VB just for the Brits – England Bitter – last week and it’s become a global sensation.

The promotion followed English coach Brendon McCullum saying he strongly disagreed with the Australian team’s controversial Lord’s run-out of Jonny Bairstow during the Ashes. 

“I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer with them any time soon,” McCullum said.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald said he was “somewhat disappointed” by the comment.

He said Bairstow’s dismissal as he strolled out of his crease did not contravene the spirit of cricket.

“There’s no doubt when a player is leaving their crease or leaving their ground at certain periods of time that you take that opportunity,” he said.

“I think (captain Pat Cummins) relayed that there was some conversation around Jonny leaving the crease and Alex Carey took that opportunity – the ball’s still live in our minds.

“It got sent upstairs and ultimately, the officiating third umpire decides it’s out, it’s within the laws of the game. I don’t see too many issues with it, to be perfectly honest.”

CUB took out full-page ads in major Australian newspapers ahead of the third test starting at Headingley and came with a rejigging of VB’s iconic jingle that included the words: “You can get it not protecting your stumps, you can get it ignoring the umps.”

CEO explains the cheeky England Bitter move

The stunt scored headlines around the world.

CUB CEO Danny Celoni said: “VB is a brand that has never been shy, so when we saw a chance to engage in a little banter with the English cricket team over their refusal to share a beer with our boys, we thought why not.

“Thanks to the swift thinking and creativity of our marketing and corporate affairs teams and the agility of our team in supply, we’ve been a little bit cheeky and shipped a limited run of a special ‘England Bitter’ beer to the England Cricket Team just in time for the third test. We’ve even updated our jingle to make sure they know we are thinking about them.”  

VB Assistant Brand Manager Ben Haysman added: “We’ve gone viral on social, bought print media in both Austrailan and United Kingdom newspapers, created a new iconic VB jingle, and received great media coverage across Sunrise, The Today Show, Sky News, The Project, the Herald Sun and more with cartoonist Mark Knight even taking things into his own hands.

“A mammoth team effort from Marc Lord, Sarah Wilcox, Reid Sexton, Julian Sheezel, Sophie Gosper, Allan Carlow and The Monkeys, Tom Lamplugh and PHD, James Ramsey and 1House to get this up in just 36 hours … well done, we’ve earned a VB.”

Here’s the full jingle:

You can get it getting stumped.
You can get it complaining to the umps.

You can get it throwing away your wicket
You can get it invoking the spirit of cricket

You get it if your Ben Stokes
You can get it if you’re the coach.

Yes our beer may be bitter.
But our cricket team isn’t

So England, we’ve got a beer with your name on it.
For when you change your mind.

And that beer is England. England Bitter.

VB sends warm slabs of England Bitter to UK