Editing John Smith's Brewery (section)

=== No Nonsense campaigns ===
From 1992 until 1997, comedian [[Jack Dee]] starred in the "No Nonsense" campaign, created by [[DDB Worldwide|DDB]].<ref name="AngwinCummings2011">{{cite book|first1=Duncan |last1=Angwin|first2=Stephen |last2=Cummings|first3=Chris |last3=Smith|title=The Strategy Pathfinder: Core Concepts and Live Cases|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VXlZqDz7shAC&pg=PT207|year=2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-99588-3|pages=207–8}}</ref> The Dee campaign was widely credited with helping John Smith's rise from sixteenth to fourth highest selling beer in the UK as sales increased by 65 per cent, and the brand overtook [[Tetley's Bitter|Tetley's]] as the highest selling ale brand in the world by 1995.<ref name="AngwinCummings2011" /> The Dee campaign won fifty advertising awards, and helped to turn the rising comedian into a household name.<ref name="AngwinCummings2011" />

Dee resigned in 1997, and he was replaced in 1998 with a cardboard cut-out known as the "No Nonsense Man", from the GGT advertising agency.<ref name="AngwinCummings2011" /> Despite appearing in over 20,000 pubs, clubs and shops, No Nonsense Man was found to have less of an impact than the Dee advertisements.<ref name="adage1"/><ref name="AngwinCummings2011" />

[[Peter Kay]] represented the brand from 2002 to 2005 and again in 2010–11.<ref name=autogenerated13>Images of strategy By Stephen Cummings, p69</ref> The Kay campaign was described as an "advertising phenomenon", and introduced the phrase "Ave it!" into the public consciousness.<ref>Guardian Unlimited 10 April 2010 Saturday Peter Kay to reprise straight-talking role in John Smith's TV ads</ref> Between 2002 and 2004 the Kay advertisements won over fifty advertising and marketing awards, making it the sixth most awarded advertising campaign in the world.<ref name="yep"/> Despite the success of the Kay campaign, the perceived "[[Lad culture|laddishness]]" of the advertisements were criticised by rival brewer [[Interbrew]] as hindering sales of beer among women.<ref name=sco>{{cite news|title=Scottish Courage defends John Smith's ad|url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks-Brands-News/Scottish-Courage-defends-John-Smith-s-ad|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421054727/http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks-Brands-News/Scottish-Courage-defends-John-Smith-s-ad|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2013|access-date=5 March 2014|newspaper=Morning Advertiser|date=1 May 2003}}</ref>