With the Rugby World Cup in France kicking off this weekend, Guinness, one of the main sponsors of Irish Rugby, has launched a new campaign to galvanise the country and show its support to the the Irish team.
The new integrated campaign, called Don’t Jinx It, was developed by AMV BBDO and was inspired by a universal truth about being a fan: the feeling that your actions directly affect your team’s performance. It’s particularly true for Ireland fans in 2023, as they are uncomfortable with being the top ranked side.
Despite the excitement about the strength of their team, confidence doesn’t come easily to Irish fans for fear that it might come back to bite them.
The TV ad that kicks off the campaign was shot in sports-documentary style, with Ireland fans being interviewed about their hopes for the 2023 season and their reflections on previous disappointments. It begins with a couple in a pub argue over whether saying ‘Ireland was going to w*n’ cost the team a championship title once. In another one, colleagues in a local cafe persuade themselves that a few group games will offer more than enough excitement. In the final scene, a banner is revealed on the side of an Irish pub, with the message “We’re going all the way! (To France)”. Finally, a title appears: “Think it. Just don’t jinx it.”
A second element to the campaign sees Irish rugby legends Brian O’Driscoll and Keith Wood feature in a video for social channels with the former centre apologising for tipping Ireland to go all the way in the Rugby World Cup 2019.
The TVC was directed by James Rouse through Biscuit, the film in versions of 30 and 60 seconds will run on TV and social media. As part of the campaign, OOH reminding rugby fans to “not jinx it” will be placed near pubs nationwide. A series of activations across the country will also highlight past wrongdoings and get everyone supporting the Irish team in the right way this time.
Speaking about the campaign, Alan McAleenan, Brand Director, Guinness Ireland said: “As a long-standing partner of the IRFU, we wanted to launch a campaign that truly relates to Irish rugby fans. All of Ireland will be supporting the team with every fibre, but our campaign urges fans to bottle that excitement at that crucial moment when it might bubble over, and we get too confident – don’t jinx it.”
AMV BBDO creatives Will Brookwell and Louis Prenaud add: “No matter what your sport or who your team is, we’ve all got too carried away and jinxed things – it’s a universal superstition that even the most sceptical of us believe to be true when it comes to sport. Heading into another enormous tournament with their team ranked #1 and previous years heartbreaks fresh in their minds, this insight has never been truer for Ireland fans. GUINNESS too is a huge fan of the national team, so our campaign aims to get ahead of the loose lips and remind everyone to support safely, and to never say that one forbidden thing.”
Credits:
Client: Diageo
Brand: GUINNESS
Campaign title: Don’t Jinx It
Client name: Alan McAleenan, Lauren McKay and Liam ElSibai
Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
CCO: Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott
Creative Director: Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott
Creative Team: Will Brookwell and Louis Prenaud
Agency Planning Team: Joe Smith
Agency Account Team: Nick Andrew, Elana Murphy and Harry Frohlich
Agency Producer: Nick Godden
Agency Assistant Producer: Kieran O’Malley
Agency Designer: TBC
Media Agency: PHD
PR Agency:
Production Company: Biscuit
Director: James Rouse
Production Co. Producer: Benji Howell
Post-production Company:
Sound studio:
Audio Post-production:
Photographer: Linda Brownlee
