Red Blooded - Lion Red

This boisterous Geoff Dixon-directed commercial dates from the time when craft beer was yet to make a big mark, and Lion Red was NZ's number one beer. Hyperactive in a flannel shirt, a pre-Hercules Michael Hurst takes the mic at a pub talent quest, and sings a war cry for Kiwi blokes against wimpy pretenders like champagne cocktails and Mexican beers. Local advertising veteran Roy Meares wrote the "anti-yuppie commercial" (he was also behind the long-running Speights 'Perfect Woman' campaign). The Murray Grindlay-composed song became a pub anthem.

There's only one beer we drink around here mate and it's not blue, black-labelled, double coloured, brown or green. It's red mate, like a fire engine, and it comes in a bottle and a can and it's got a little lion on it — aye!

– Michael Hursts sings the virtues of the colour red

Key Cast & Crew

Geoff Dixon

Director

Roy Meares

Writer

Michael Hurst

Actor

Murray Grindlay

Composer