Ineos Grenadier shuns the glossy shots for the boozer

Ineos Automotive, the car manufacturer launched by Sir Jim Radcliffe in 2016, is returning to its origins with a new campaign that tells the unlikely story of how the purpose-built Grenadier 4×4 first came to life.

Created by Wonderhood Studios, “Born in a Pub” centres on the moment the idea for the Grenadier was first conceived over a pint at the Grenadier pub in Belgravia, London. It was there, that the idea for a stripped-back, no-nonsense, utilitarian off-road vehicle first took shape.

Rather than following the conventions of automotive advertising such as sweeping mountain passes, glossy studio lighting and heritage montages, the campaign takes a different approach to return to the pub where the idea began.

The 80-second film is set in a meticulously rebuilt replica of the original Grenadier pub and starts with the pub landlady at the bar, recalling how the vehicle first came to be. As she says: “It started right here, when it was just an idea”, the camera pans across to where the Grenadier itself is assembled piece by piece in the middle of the pub, shot in camera.

Around her, pub life continues; drinks are poured, conversations unfold and mechanics work shoulder-to-shoulder, bringing the vehicle to life. The result is a scene that blends the bustle of a traditional pub with the hands-on craft of building a purpose-built 4×4.

The campaign was directed by Giordano Maestrelli through Stink UK, and launches across the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Germany on connected TV and social platforms.

The film builds on the brand platform “Built For More”, focusing on the feeling of possibility that getting behind the vehicle can give you. A scene within the film shows how “you can fit three sheep in the back”, a nod to the brands’ “Us vs Them” campaign released last year.

At its heart, the campaign is a reminder that extraordinary ideas often begin in the most ordinary places.

Ineos Automotive chief marketing officer Jonathan Hill said: “Grenadier has an unusual origin story, so it never felt right to tell it in a conventional automotive way. What we liked about Born in a Pub was that it captures something true about the brand, a big idea beginning in an ordinary place and tells it with a bit of wit, craft and character.”

Maestrelli added: “Car advertising often follows the same visual language – sweeping landscapes and heroic shots. We wanted to deliberately challenge that by placing the vehicle somewhere unexpected and creating something absurd but cinematic. The car is in the middle of the pub and life unfolds around it naturally, with small side stories and characters that make the world feel lived in. I’m grateful to Wonderhood for the trust and shared vision.”