Iconic 90s beer revives classic squirrel advert 30 years after it first aired

Carling Black Label is back!

The famous 1990s commercial for Carling Black Label featured a daring squirrel navigating an obstacle course to reach a nut feeder.

Now the brand has recreated the ad using a squirrel called Skige, who trained for three weeks using an obstacle course which took over 100 hours to build.

Navigating a rope bridge, maze and see-saw, the squirrel delivered a high-octane performance.

It was all in celebration of the launch of a new era of Carling Black Label, with the brand recreating its nostalgic and award winning 1990’s squirrel advert and releasing a behind-the-scenes video with Internet personality Robbie Knox.

It follows research which found more than half of adults (51 per cent) liked the idea of adverts from the 1990s being remade, a nostalgic beer brand has done just that.

Skige was trained by Trevor Smith – the same handler from the original ad - while also making a comeback was original voice over actor, Stephen Frost.

Stephen Frost said: “I was around for the original, so it’s been a real trip down memory lane.

“It’s great to be involved in something that still has so much energy and personality today but for a new generation of drinkers.” 

Research commissioned by the beer brand, of 2,000 adults, revealed the 25 things they’d most like to bring back from the 1990s - including MTV music videos, free toys in cereal boxes and leaving the house without a phone.

Nearly one in five (17 per cent) would reinstate going to the video store to rent a film, while 63 per cent yearn for classic Saturday morning TV shows such as Live & Kicking, CD:UK and SMTV Live.

More than half (55 per cent) would love to return to the days of leaving the house without a phone as the norm - so long as everyone else was doing it too.

A further 30 per cent would enjoy reviving slang words and phrases from the decade, such as ‘whatever’ and ‘talk to the hand’.

The research also found it’s not just those who lived through it, with four in 10 Gen Z claiming to have good knowledge of the 1990s, despite being born on the cusp of the 2000s.

More than three in 10 (31 per cent) even referred to it as a significant decade due to it being a simpler time, suggesting a rise in ‘fauxstalgia’ – nostalgia for a time they didn’t personally experience.

Social media also heightens memories, as 70 per cent of Millennials said seeing the content makes them want to go back to the time – followed by 62 per cent of Gen Z.

When it comes to the best parts of retro adverts, 43 per cent said humour was most important part but having a memorable soundtrack also ranked highly (34 per cent).

Ryan McLaughlin, brand director for Carling said: “The research shows just how much nostalgia the 90s holds in people’s hearts.

“Whether it was your favourite band, TV show or memorable advert, there is loads to celebrate from the decade.

“We’ve seen lots of things make a comeback in some way or the other, from Oasis and Take That to flared jeans and arcades.

“There’s one thing we could bring back from the 90s and bringing back the iconic squirrel felt like the perfect way to connect past and present.”

Top things Brits want to bring back from the 90s

1.            Woolworths

2.            Leaving the house without a phone

3.            Free gifts in cereal boxes

4.            Argos catalogue

5.            MTV music videos

6.            Going to the video store to rent a video

7.            Gameboys

8.            90s lingo

9.            Event TV - like when Madonna debuted Frozen on National Lottery Live

10.         Real super models

11.         Pringles to go - snack holder

12.         Spice Girls before Geri left

13.         Sony Discman

14.         film-developing counters in every pharmacy

15.         Tamagotchi

16.         Take That before Robbie left

17.         Tammy Girl clothes

18.         Butterfly clips

19.         Thinner eyebrows

20.         Macarena

21.         The Carling Black Label “squirrel” advert

22.         Cat suits

23.         Space Buns

24.         Frosted tips

25.         Mizz and S Club Seven magazines