The first ever TV commercial for iconic Welsh cheese brand Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar gets its first airing on S4C this week. The ad for the uniquely powerful cheddar will hit TV screens during Prynhawn Da at 2.45 pm tomorrow (Thursday 8 November 2012.)

In a witty instance of art imitating life, the commercial features Collier’s real-life brand ambassador, Darren Gough, and sees him attending an audition to be the face of Collier’s. The Collier’s representatives are initially perplexed as to why an English cricketer would want to be the face of a Welsh cheese, but Darren’s boundless enthusiasm for Collier’s is so infectious that it wins them over.

Filmed at the iconic Welsh Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, the 30 second ad features stirring Welsh choral music to firmly position the award-winning cheddar as “A Powerful Taste of Wales.” Filmed in both Welsh and English, the ad focuses on Collier’s Welsh credentials and powerful taste appeal, which is so strong it has led Darren to don a red rugby jersey in a bid to win the role.

“Collier’s core values are its Welsh provenance and its extraordinary taste,” explains Dan Harper from Fayrefield Foods, who own the Collier’s brand. “The creative shows that Collier’s appeal is so powerful that it can bowl anyone over and even turn them a little bit Welsh!”

 

Darren Gough relished the role and with it the opportunity of learning a little bit of Welsh. The Yorkshireman has long been a massive fan of Collier’s, and with two teenage sons in the household, gets through a block of the powerful cheddar a day.

“I absolutely love Collier’s so there was no real acting involved,” says the former Strictly Come Dancing champion and now a presenter of Talksport radio. “The taste really does hit me for six and I am chuffed to be the brand ambassador. I really hope these ads spread the word that Collier’s is the best cheddar so more people get to try it, because if they haven’t yet, they are really missing out!”

Made by Welsh production company, Orchard, the commercial will run for eight weeks to drive sales in the busy approach to Christmas, which traditionally sees a massive jump in sales of food and drink.

It features Welsh actors Dewi Rhys Williams, who has starred in S4C dramas such as Teulu and Caerdydd, and Victoria Pugh.