The ‘Big cold beer’ Victoria Bitter advertisements for Carlton & United Breweries, voiced by Australian actor John Meillon (1934–1989), are arguably Australia’s most iconic beer commercials.

Initially conceived for Carlton & United Breweries’ (CUB) Bulimba Gold Top beer in 1965, the radio and TV campaign was reworked for the Victoria Bitter brand in 1967. John Meillon returned for the voice-overs, and the ads featured a new version of the instrumental music composed by Bob (Beetles) Young. The 1968 recording of John Meillon’s legendary voice-over is now officially part of our Sounds of Australia.

This clip features a 60-second version of a 1970 advertisement for television (there were also shorter 30-second variations). While the ad includes shots of women enjoying a beer alongside the men, it conforms to thegender stereotyping common in advertising campaigns of the era, with men performing manual labour and women in the kitchen or handing a beer to the hardworking man.

With his rich baritone and impassioned delivery, John Meillon’s voice was integral to the success of the advertisements. The actor’s long list of credits includes The Sundowners (1960), Walkabout and Wake in Fright (both 1971), The Cars That Ate Paris (1974), The Picture Show Man (1977), The Dismissal (1983) and Crocodile Dundee (1986). He began his career in 1940s radio drama and worked across radio, film, TV and theatre, winning both AFI and Logie Awards for his acting.

The VB campaign ran continuously, with only minor variations, for two decades until Meillon’s death in 1989. With the approval of the Meillon family, CUB has continued to use the actor’s voice through digital remastering and by recutting the original recordings.

Watch more vintage advertisements and see advertising campaigns for Cadbury Chocolates and Holden Cars from the same era.