The Diageo-owned Guinness brand has kicked off its 2019 sponsorship of the Six Nations with a new campaign to promote Guinness Clear, a tongue-in-cheek brand that is simply tap water.
With no evidence of the so-called “black stuff” in the ad, the campaign aims to reassure drinkers that they should in no way feel guilty about ordering a pint of water in the pub when they are out drinking, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to responsible drinking in the process. The TV ad also pokes fun at some of the more clichéd ads for beer including the stereotypical master brewer holding up a glass of the clear liquid which is “made to a time-honored recipe.”
Guinness has replaced Royal Bank of Scotland as the lead sponsor of the tournament which kicks off today, February 1st.
The campaign was created by Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO in London and was written by Tim Riley, art directed by Zak Loney and directed by Tom Kuntz through MJZ and Pull The Trigger. Creative directors were Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott. Media buying is being handled by Carat.
Additional content around the campaign features former rugby greats Brian O’Driscoll and Lawrence Dallaglio sipping on a pint of Guinness Clear.
According to Mark Sandys, global head of beer, Baileys and Smirnoff at Diageo: “At Guinness, responsible drinking is something we take very seriously. With the launch of Guinness Six Nations, we wanted to ensure we delivered this important message to sports fans in a compelling way and so Guinness Clear was born. We want to make sure that ordering water, no matter the context, is an active and positive choice by the millions of fans who will be watching and attending the Guinness Six Nations over the next six weeks.”
Guinness Clear will have a heavy presence at home nations’ stadiums, including branded water fonts and Guinness Clear sampling teams giving water to match-goers.
