PubAid, the independent voice for pubs, has unveiled a Christmas TV advertisement championing the industry’s vital contribution to community sport.
Titled The Pub Run, the film follows publican Justine Lorriman, of The Royal Dyche in Burnley, as she runs through the town, gradually joined by the many sports teams her pub supports.
What starts as a simple shout becomes an uplifting wave of community spirit, culminating in a poignant final twist that underlines the true value pubs bring to the people they serve.
The advert is driven by a poem-based script that threads the story together and ends: “Some gifts, like the pub, you just cannot wrap.”
The film sits at the heart of PubAid’s recently launched Pubs Power Sport campaign, supported by Guinness and Sky Business. It has already attracted more than 25,000 views on Facebook.
“This advert is our heartfelt tribute to publicans everywhere and a reminder of the vital role pubs play in powering local sport, connection, and wellbeing,” said PubAid co-founder Des O’Flanagan.
“The message is clear: pubs power 6.7 million sports sessions every year. Without pubs, we’d lose that.”
In a nod to the classic 1973 Hovis commercial, the soundtrack — Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 — has been faithfully reimagined by Stevensonics, the music production team led by award-winning producer Gary Stevenson and collaborator Phil Taylor. Stevenson’s career includes work with artists such as Rick Astley, ABC, Go West, Tony Hadley, Bros, and Jane McDonald. The voiceover is provided by Lee Row, of Radio Burnley.
