Guinness has long been known for its subtle and artful – and often confusing – ad campaigns. Men on surfboards surrounded by white horses, time ticking away in a bar, a wacky dance, all designed to intrigue and entertain and, of course, draw drinkers to the black stuff. But they’ve thrown all that out for their newest U.S. marketing push. The core of the campaign seems to be: you’re a man, you like sports, drink Guinness.
Diageo PLC, who owns the Guinness brand, will begin to run ads for Guinness on ESPN and other channels featuring sports figures such as retired football star Jerome Bettis. Bettis, a former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, with claim that Guinness is ‘only for the bold,’ with the campaign going by the title, ‘Fortune Favors the Bold.’
Guinness has long been a sponsor of major sporting events, such as the All-Ireland hurling championship in Ireland, or the English rugby premiership, but the advertisements for those competitions, which were heavily Guinness-branded, were separate to the stout’s main advertising thrust.
According to Patrick Hughes, the U.S. brand director for Guinness, “connecting Guinness with sports is the perfect way to bring boldness to life: It takes bold moves, bold plays."
Guinness famously spends huge amounts on marketing, but Diageo wouldn’t reveal how much it was spending on this campaign.
The ads are part of a larger marketing push behind Guinness by Diageo, which includes a planned link-up with basketball stars during college basketball’s March Madness competition to coincide with St Patrick’s Day, and the launch of a number of new products including Guinness Foreign Extra Stout and Guinness Black Lager.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.EuropeanIrish | Oct 22, 2010, 08:17 AM EDT
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout has 7.5% APV - as opposed to ordinary Guinness Draught - GUINNESS Foreign Extra Stout is brewed at a higher hop rate than GUINNESS Draught
NJIrishWitch | Oct 14, 2010, 01:21 PM EDT
Very dramatic, but left out the women who enjoy a pint or two if Guinness.
plasticpaddy | Oct 13, 2010, 04:47 PM EDT
All Guinness is Guinness Foreign Extra Stout - an entirely incorrect statement.
Searlit | Oct 13, 2010, 01:45 PM EDT
Horses can swim. Supposedly, the Connemara ponies are the descendants of horses that swam to shore, after the Spanish ships they were on, sank off the west coast centuries ago.
bogsidebunny | Oct 13, 2010, 01:35 AM EDT
This commercial is way too Ghey. Check out the last 5 seconds. Huggy in the buff stuff! AND, Where's PETA when you need them.....Horses virtually drowning.
Dublinjas | Oct 12, 2010, 09:23 AM EDT
All Guinness is Guinness Foreign Extra Stout