I can’t fault Carlsberg’s £1.5 million media deal with Sky that will see it strengthen its association with Sky Sports over the next year. Loads of blokes watch Sky Sports. Loads of blokes potentially drink tins of Carslberg’s lager. So far, so very back of the net.

Yet I reckon that Carlsberg’s creative, from Fold7, is now so dire that any advantage gained from such deals will be lost. To ditch its “probably” positioning, which resulted in many fine ads from Saatchi & Saatchi, for the lazy emptiness of its newish endline “that calls for a Carlsberg” seems scandalous.

The new execution, featuring four rugby tools in a sitting room tossing around beer cans as though they are rugby balls, is only mildly irritating when compared to the previous two executions featuring idiots in space and on mountains (in a stupid tribute to the far superior Carling spots?) God knows, though, how any sports fan will manage to sit through the upcoming series of 20 of these sport themed spots and retain any sense of consideration towards the Carlsberg brand.

Sadly, while Carlsberg is ticking all the correct (though blindingly obvious) media boxes, its creative has lost its way. And, I feel, that’s probably going to mean the beginning of the end for a once great lager brand.