Heineken’s Star Pubs launches celebrity-led campaign to attract new licensees

Star Pubs, the pub division of Heineken UK, has launched a campaign featuring three celebrities as guest licensees to attract people from outside the trade into running pubs. The year-long campaign, created by St Luke’s, is designed to highlight both the support and the freedom available to licensees.

The initiative includes three short films in which each celebrity takes charge of a pub for a themed event. Nicola Adams, Olympic gold medal-winning boxer, hosts a Pubtathalon to celebrate women in sport at The Dalesman in Leeds. Love Island contestant and influencer Farmer Will (Will Young) runs a Wild West night at The Black Pug in Warwick. Rising comedy star Helen Bauer creates a board games evening at The Prince of Peckham in London.

Each celebrity works alongside a Star Pubs business development manager, who demonstrates the training, investment and support available. Real licensees also feature in the films to share hands-on knowledge of their pubs and communities.

St Luke’s humorous approach aims to give prospective operators confidence while showcasing the individuality they can bring to a pub. The campaign responds to research showing that since 2022, 55 percent of applicants for a Star Pub have come from outside the industry.

Hance McPherson, Head of Licensee Attraction, Star Pubs: "People from outside the sector are a vital source of licensees for the nation’s pubs. The applicants we’re seeing in 2025 are looking to take on pubs after careers ranging from accountancy and law enforcement to teaching, with the biggest growth coming from those in healthcare, social work, engineering and manufacturing. It’s critical for the future of the industry to showcase all the positive sides of running a pub and to demystify the L&T style of agreement. When we talk to people, they’re often amazed to discover they don’t have to buy a pub; they can lease one with the freedom to run it as their own and without any big company branding above the door. We hope this campaign will give people the confidence to consider taking on a pub."

Al Young, Chief Creative Officer, St Luke’s: "The insight behind the idea is that, just as everyone has a book inside them, every pub goer has a pub inside them. If you love pubs, you know exactly what the pub of your dreams would be like. In each short film we hear the celebrities’ visions and then see it come together in a journey of highs and lows and, through it, showcase the unique combination of freedom and support Star Pubs gives to all of their operators."

Farmer Will: "I’ve always wanted to work in a pub. It’s really fun being surrounded by people all day, not too dissimilar to being around the animals on the farm! The struggle facing pub licensees and farming isn’t too dissimilar – we’re both facing rising costs in a difficult economic climate. In the same way I’d want customers to back British farming, it became clear in this film that showing support to your local is equally important."

The campaign includes three main films, nine short trailers and nine interview clips exploring the licensee experience. Each celebrity will feature in a dedicated three-month media burst, with the films available online from late September.

www.starpubs.co.uk

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