Long Live the Local by Havas London

Britain’s Beer Alliance pro-pub campaign ‘Long Live The Local’ is back, with a mission to halt new beer duty increases from the UK government.

The tax the government puts on beer has risen by 39% in the last 10 years, which means the UK now pays three times more tax than the EU average and 14 times more than Germans. Pubs across the country have been highlighting high beer tax is bad for business, with three pubs a day closing their doors for good.

To get its message across the 'Long live The Local campaign has released a mini-documentary directed by Chris Smith the director of Netflix’s hit Fyre Festival documentary. It tells the tale of one pub in East Sussex – The Horn’ Lodge - that acts as a microcosm for the local community.

The documentary paints the picture that the pub is not just a building, with beer on draft. Various villagers share fond memories and stories about what it means to them - it's a place to natter with pals, to share your troubles and if you're disconnected or alone at Christmas, the landlords offer Christmas lunch to bring the community together. “It’s just like walking into your front room with a group of friends,” one regular shares.

However, the heart-warming story takes a sad twist as a lady recounts how when there is “a power-cut - you head to pub. When there’s a snowstorm - you head to the pub. If you’ve run out of anything…” before the film stops in its tracks and the screen goes blank.

The text reads “on 1 January 2019, The Horns Lodge closed its doors for good. After 250 years of service, the pub that was once full of life stands decrepit, empty and boarded up. For the remaining runtime of 24 minutes, the screen reminds viewers to sign a petition to cut beer tax.