Eric Cantona's French beer ad banned for 'not crediting' British brewers

Former French footballer-turned actor Eric Cantona's advertisement for a French beer company has reportedly been banned as the ad does not give credit to the beer's British brewers.

The former Manchester United star jokes in the ad that French brewers are treated like top footballers because they make 'Kronenbourg 1664' and the ad even shows them getting soccer player-style haircuts and being chased down the street by the paparazzi.

But, according to the Daily Star, advertising bosses have ruled the fact that the promo does not mention the fact that the beer is brewed also in Manchester, England, with the Advertising Standards Authority deciding that the small print saying that the beer is 'brewed in the UK' was not enough to alter the impression that it is a French product.

A spokesman for brewers Heineken said that 'Kronenbourg 1664' is an inherently French beer, first brewed in 1952 in Alsace, adding that in the UK it is brewed to a French recipe in a process supervised and approved by Brasseries Kronenbourg.

The spokesman added that the beer's 'Frenchness' is an integral part of the brand that had been regularly communicated to consumers.

However, the ASA said the ad led buyers to believe the entire process took place in France.