A traditional Sussex drink has made merry with its advertising, thanks to a bit of in-cider knowledge.

Posters marketing Merrydown cider will be popping up across Britain with people craning their necks to see both sides of the story.

The firm has used a play on its name to create a range of Victorian-style upside-down pictures.

Viewed one way, they show a happy cider drinker with a full glass but, when the picture is flipped, it reveals a sad soul with an empty glass.

Thus, the drinker is either "merry" or "down" depending on which way up the poster is displayed.

Artists from across the world have come up with designs, which will be used at London Underground stations and on revolving advertising boards.

Chris Carr, managing director of Merrydown's ciders division, said: "I was clear Merrydown needed to do a bit of advertising.

"People were starting to say 'I remember Merrydown' and I wanted them to be drinking it rather than remembering it.

"My favourite advert was the Guinness surfer so I approached the agency behind it to see if they would work with us.

"They really liked the word Merrydown and had the idea of using a smiley face and a full glass as merry and a sad face and empty glass as down.

"They tried to think of the 12 best illustrators in the world and asked them if they would come up with a design. These included South American twins and a chap who does Disney illustrations.

"It has gathered a bit more momentum than I anticipated. But we believe the images could become collectors' items and people will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment."

Merrydown was founded in 1946 and the following year moved to its current home at Horam Manor in Heathfield.

It produces a variety of ciders ,including vintage dry and medium. The ads will be promoting the range and may also feature on bottles and T-shirts.

The images were commissioned by advertising agency CDD.

Caspar Thykier, a partner at the agency, said: "The creative idea was one of life's happy accidents - that both merry and down exist in the brand name.

"Using the upside-down faces provided the perfect vehicle to create a campaign that is engaging, branded and memorable."