Statement from Lion
“If it moved, we sponsored it, and if it didn’t, we’d paint it red and yellow.” – Frank Burnett, date unknown.
The immortal words embodied the marketing strategy of former XXXX Chairman and Director Frank Burnett. And his legacy lives on to this day, with many of the deals he negotiated and inked continuing.
The entire XXXX family in Queensland and across Australia extends their condolences to the Burnett family following Frank’s passing at the end of September.
After a colourful and illustrious 50-year career at XXXX, Frank imparted his impeccable business sense, love of the hospitality industry, and in particular, tap beer, on many of his XXXX colleagues.
His memory lives on at the brewery on Milton Road, where many sales and brewery team members were fortunate enough to either work with him for a brief period, or meet him in the years following his retirement in 2001.
He had an immeasurable and formative influence on the brewery and the brand, and while the Mr Fourex moniker is often attributed widely, its rightful owner is surely Frank.
Born under his leadership, XXXX GOLD grew and went on to become the country’s biggest beer – a bottled bit of Queensland for the whole country.
Frank once borrowed the famous slogan about the Sunshine State in a national meeting of Lion’s state directors, “Queensland: beautiful one day, and perfect the next”.
The same could be said of XXXX. Not least because of its reliable great taste and refreshing character – but because of its wonderful, 143 year history and the people that have helped shape it.
If XXXX is synonymous with Queensland, then how lucky XXXX was to have Frank at the helm for all those years.