Posted April 10Apr 10 comment_10062 Jason Momoa is a tough act to follow. Especially if you’re a Guinness marketer. Last year, the brand partnered with Momoa to direct and star in a U.S. spot for his favorite beer that ended up getting 13 billion impressions. So this year, Guinness decided to celebrate an even more valuable partner—its actual customers and fans. For the newest iteration of the long-running “Lovely Day for a Guinness” tagline—first rolled out in a 1935 ad campaign—the brand collected stories from customers across all 50 states. Among the stories is the Treme Brass Brand in New Orleans, who share pints of Guinness before taking the stage. The Chicago Plumbers Union are in there, as they’ve been dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day since 1962. There’s also Minnesota’s Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, which claims to be the world’s largest ice fishing competition. Guinness’s North American vice-president of marketing Joyce He says the goal was to illustrate how Guinness is not just for St. Patrick’s Day or an Irish pub (though it is very much about those things). “As we delved into the work, the bit that bubbled up that felt so magical was, instead of writing a story and casting actors, we know there’s real people out there who love the brand and have their real Guinness moments, so let’s go and find them,” says He. Real fans Created with agency Uncommon, the new campaign solicited stories from real U.S. customers before St. Patrick’s Day to find as many as it could to feature. The move is the latest example of a brand shining the spotlight on its own customers for a major advertising moment, like Taco Bell’s Super Bowl ad featuring more than 400 fans. The more than 250-year-old brand has seen a surge in popularity recently, even running short on supply in the UK ahead of the holidays late last year. Some credit the boost to an overall interest in stout among younger customers, which includes the viral “splitting the G” social trend. Whether you’re aiming to get your beer level down to evenly split the word “Guinness” on a pint glass in your first sip or not, He is hoping the diversity of locations and occasions in the new campaign will give people ideas. “We know there’s a massive opportunity beyond the pub,” she says. “Of course, a Guinness in a pub is amazing and magical, but it’s also really great with Mexican food, and Asian food, and seafood and oysters. I think what’s worked really well for us is honestly just staying true to what’s been true about the brand for over 260 years, and just finding new ways to share that with beer people and being really, really focused about it.” Commercial tradition Guinness has long navigated the balancing act between its Irish heritage and the place of prominence in pubs and St. Patrick’s Day that comes with it and extending its reach to a broader audience. Here are three of its best-ever ads to defy the Guinness stereotype. Surfer (1998) Directed by Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest, Under The Skin, Sexy Beast), this ad won every major advertising award, and has been named by many as one of the best commercials of all-time. Sapeurs (2014) Here the brand heads to Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, in celebration of the Society of Elegant Persons of the Congo, or “Sapeurs.” Created with AMV BBDO, the spot spotlights a real group of men from all walks of life, who make up the group united by a love of style. The ad was also complemented by a short doc called The Men Inside The Suits, and won director Nicolai Fuglsig a 2015 Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercials. Compton Cowboys (2018) This was another portrait of a compelling group of friends, this time in Compton, California. Another from AMV BBDO, the ad is told from the perspective of Keenan Abercrombie, who tells us about how he and his friends care for and ride horses in their city better known for its gang violence. View the full article
