A look back at the Tennent's Lager Lovelies as drinks historian set to write book on tin can models

Any Scot of a certain age will remember the glamorous women that once graced the cans of Tennent's Lager.

One of the most famous Scottish promotional campaigns of all time, these models with their big hair and sexy poses, helped put the Glasgow-based lager brand on the map.

Definitely from another age, the cans have been described as innovative and eye-catching by some and sexist and exploitative by others.

Now, as part of a new study, a drinks historian is hoping to create a more complete picture of this famous ad campaign by interviewing the models and collectors, as well as the men behind it and the women who stood against it.

Dr Thora Hands is a social sciences lecturer at City of Glasgow College and an independent historian who has already spoken to a large number of people involved with the Tennent's Lager Lovelies.

"I think that the cans offer fascinating insights into Scottish society and drinking culture," she explained. 

"The marketing was very successful, ensuring that Tennent's was the brand leader in Scotland in the 1970s and 80s."

History 

Beginning as a bit of an accident, the Lager Lovelies began life in the early 60s as Scottish landscapes that were designed to make soldiers and ex-pats nostalgic for home.

Surprisingly, it was in a series featuring English landmarks that featured model Ann Johansen standing alongside the fountain in Trafalgar Square, that saw Tennent’s inundated with letters from lonely servicemen inquiring about this young woman on the beer can.

Due to the sizeable market that they had in overseas military bases, they realised they had perhaps struck gold and went on to include Ann in more shoots and eventually other models.

Thora explained that around that time they also began their “Housewives Choice” series, a 20 can set, which featured models and also some very intriguing recipes using Tennent’s beer.

Recommendations for dishes like 'Betty recommends goulash' and 'Cynthia recommends spaghetti casserole' were not uncommon.

Hugely popular, the cans ran right up until the early 90s when they were finally removed from sale.

Surprisingly, Dr Hands states that the cans still have a massive global audience as they are hugely popular with international can collectors.

The Housewives Choice Cans are considered to be some of the most valuable, with can collectors, such as American Jeff Lebo - who owns the world's largest collection of vintage beer cans, and can fetch thousands of pounds depending on their condition.

Controversy

Dr Hands explained that the cans were not without controversy, as feminists accused the firm of promoting the exploitation and sexual objectification of women.

"The lager lovelies live on in Scottish cultural memory, invoking reactions that range from disbelief to outrage," she stated.

"By tracing the development of the marketing across three decades, it is possible to situate the cans within the changing social and cultural context and examine the reasons why the marketing was as successful as it was controversial and what this reveals about particular aspects of Scottish society and drinking culture."

Through her research she discovered that although the models were often covered up on the front of cans for the home market, those sold to British servicemen stationed abroad showed a very different side to the cans.

"Tennent's launched a new can series roughly every three years with new models on the cans. There was a considerable difference between the photographs used on the British cans and those sold abroad.

"Most people remember women wearing swimwear or low cut tops but the overseas cans, but the overseas cans showed women virtually topless or in very risque poses."

The Project

Dr Hands added that the project is still ongoing, stating that she hopes to use her research to create a future book entitled "Canned: Feminism - Sexism and Tennent's Lager Lovelies".

The historian stated that she is still looking to interview more people about their experiences with the cans, she added: "I would like to talk to anyone who remembers the cans either from childhood, when they were growing up or if they were in the armed forces stationed abroad in the 1970s and 80s.

"I am also very keen to talk to women who had opinions about the cans or who may have campaigned against the cans as sexist marketing at the time."

Anyone who would be interested in chatting to Thora can get her on her her email: lagerlovelies@gmail.com or on twitter @thorahands