As England prepares for another crucial World Cup clash tonight, football fans can expect to see plenty of familiar faces on their screens.
But during the last England game something other than the sublime skills of England's finest footballers caught our attention - the advert for Hawkstone lager, starring Diddly Squat Farm manager Kaleb Cooper and the brewery’s founder, Jeremy Clarkson.
The advert, which aired during ITV’s coverage of England’s opening match against Croatia, has generated a strong reaction online, with viewers praising its humour, simple storytelling and distinctly British feel.
But while most viewers were focused on Cooper’s dramatic leap to save a pint of Hawkstone lager, there was another star quietly playing a supporting role throughout the advert which we spotted.
Not wanting to get overly nerdy about the ins and outs of pick-up truck design, but the pick-up in question is quite distinctive for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the rear tail lights are the most obvious indication of what this truck is, but they don't actually give much away. Then there's a distinct lack of any fancy bits like a sports hoop over the rear window, and finally just look at that gas strut on the rear tailgate visible to the right of the load bed and pertfecly aligned with the five-bar gate. Whatever this truck is, it's unapologetically a worker.
Care to have a guess?
No? Ok... well keep reading for more.
The vehicle appearing alongside the farming action is an Isuzu. More specifically we believe it's actually an Isuzu Rodeo, the predecessor to the Isuzu D-Max, and a proper working truck ideally suited to farmers.
The angle of the still we managed to grab makes it a little tricky to be sure if this is indeed a Rodeo or a first generation D-Max, as both had a similar rear light profile and both the simple rear window design that looks like it was in three parts - due to the rear brake light. \
But there's another mystery to be solved. A second pick-up truck makes an even briefer appearance in the advert, and we're not 100% sure we know what this one is. Maybe you can help.
This one is even harder to identify, not least because of the dust and muck being thrown from the rear, but also because it's quite dark.
There's clearly a sports bar, and a meaty one at that, which is giving us Amarok vibes, but then there's a very prominent rear tailgate like, which is making us think Hilux. However, there's quite a strong line down the side of the vehicle, which doesn't necessarily gel with the Hilux theory. Could we simply be looking at a much more modern Ford Ranger?
Read our Ford Ranger PHEV review
For pick-up enthusiasts, it is impossible to miss these two trucks, although hardly appearing prominently, they do help create an authentic working-farm backdrop that has become synonymous with Clarkson’s farming ventures at Diddly Squat, on Amazon Prime and the Hawkstone beer brand.
It's also nice to see a pick-up properly working in an advert. There are no lingering glamour shots, no obvious product placement cues and no additional drama - other than spilling a pint.
Since its launch, the brewery has worked hard to position itself as a champion of British farming, sourcing barley from farms across the country and building a brand around agriculture rather than celebrity. The success of Clarkson’s Farm has only strengthened that connection, turning tractors, combines and pick-ups into unlikely television stars. A bit like Clarkson, Caleb, Charlie et al.
So if Hawkstone’s advert inevitably appears again during tonight’s England coverage, keep an eye out. We'll be testing you again tomorrow if there's anything else.
