Cidre?

Did Stella Artois really think their ad campaign through? Basically, a very French man is addressing a nation famously anti-French and explaining to them that he is introducing to Britain a drink made with continental apples and is called Cidre not Cider (said with a sneer).

The French are not known for Cider, but Britain is and we tend to think of ourselves as a great apple producing country. Attacking all of this seems a fairly crazy way to go about things.

I personally quite like some of the French arty films, so the ad did convey that sense of style well, but unwittingly I fear gave the whole its proper theme. The French are style without substance. (Except Kronenbourg 1664, which is a favourite of mine. And red wine, they have been quite good at that for a while).