Pottsville, PA – Two of America’s oldest beers are getting a marketing makeover with a few very modern twists.

D.G. Yuengling & Son, established in 1829 and known by many as America’s Oldest Brewery, has teamed with marketing and communications firm Pavone to promote the beer maker’s two original brews, Lord Chesterfield Ale and Yuengling Porter. Both brands have been brewed continuously for 181 years at the American owned and family operated facility.

For its Lord Chesterfield work, Pavone will be compensated on a pay-for-performance model, with the agency earning a portion of the profits from each case and keg of Lord Chesterfield Ale sold after June 2010.

"These are exciting and pivotal times for Yuengling. We’re growing very quickly, but we’re also working hard to stay true to our history and who we are as a brand," said Yuengling president, Dick Yuengling, a fifth generation owner of the Pottsville, Pa.-based brewery. "Our Lord Chesterfield and Porter beers are a part of my family’s legacy. That’s a big reason why we decided to give them some special attention this year and give them the recognition they deserve."

The Lord Chesterfield campaign, with its emphasis on social media, marks new territory for the flagship ale. Social media and other modern web-based communication channels will be used to bring the beer’s namesake, Lord Philip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield to life. Stanhope was an 18th century British statesman famous for frank and sometimes cynical advice he offered in a series of letters to his son.

The campaign will kick off on June 4 with a series of appearances by Lord Chesterfield himself during Philadelphia’s annual Philly Beer Week festival. The appearances will be tracked online using the location-based social networking website, Four Square. The campaign’s online hub will be its Chesterfield Society website (www.chesterfieldsociety.com), which will encourage fans to establish Chesterfield Society chapters in their communities.

A blog, Facebook page, and Twitter presence will promote the appearances and give a voice to the man who has been silent since his passing in 1773. Public relations will also be used to support the public appearances and online outreach. Pavone’s digital media team has created campaigns for several food and beverage brands, which is one of the reasons Yuengling tapped the Pennsylvania-based marketing team to lead its latest effort.

"It’s not every day you get a chance to market one of the nation’s oldest brands using modern marketing tactics," said Pavone President Michael Pavone. "With Lord Chesterfield, we’re promoting a product that’s one of the best kept secrets in the beer industry. We’re also reviving a personality that has been silent for centuries. Of all the marketing tactics at our disposal, digital media is definitely among the best for the job."

The Yuengling Porter campaign will also harness Pavone’s digital media expertise, with details expected in June.