(Agency:
AMV BBDO; Air date: 01/02/19; Length: 30 seconds)
Guinness has
a long history of creating iconic adverts (some of which are helpfully compiled
here by ad mag Campaign). Some use
humour, some don’t, however all can be described as creative. The latest spot
for Guinness is both funny and creative, and also quite audacious in what it
seeks to do. With tongue firmly in cheek, the advert promotes Guinness Clear,
the new clear version of the world-famous, usually black Irish stout.
The glossy commercial satirises every beer advert cliché in the book: slow motion
shots of drinkers thirstily gulping the drink down? Check. High definition close-ups
of the beverage tumbling into a glass? Check. Proud brewer lovingly inspecting
his creation? Check. In the final shot there’s even a drop of drink falling into a full pint, making a satisfying splosh. The first time I saw the ad I have to admit I was taken
in for a few seconds, asking myself, “Is this for real?” (anyone remember Tab Clear?) Then
the gag is made 'clear', when the ad reveals Guinness Clear is '100% H2O'
and comes straight out of a tap – in other words, it’s plain old-fashioned water.
The ad launched
on the same day the Six Nations rugby tournament started and its intention was
to promote more responsible drinking, using humour to get the message across
and also help overcome the hurdle of ordering a pint of water in between alcoholic
drinks, which is seen as neither cool by drinkers nor particularly welcomed by a
lot of bar staff. Guinness Clear was also highly visible at rugby stadiums, including water fonts emblazoned with the brand name, and brand representatives giving free water to fans.
It may seem odd
to some that a brand would spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on an
advertising campaign that does not actually advertise the product they sell. However,
Diageo, the owner of Guinness, know they have one of the most long-established,
well-known and recognisable beer brands in the world. This gives them the
luxury to take more chances with their advertising. Even though real Guinness is not shown, the Guinness logo appears prominently on several close-ups of pint glasses, and the
name Guinness is spoken throughout the ad as well. The brand is also aware that
this ad’s promotion of water instead of their stout is unlikely to encourage
Guinness drinkers to give up the black stuff completely, because water can’t
offer the same taste (or tipsiness) that Guinness drinkers enjoy, so there is
no real risk here. What most impresses me about this ad is Guinness’ boldness to
try to rebrand generic water as one of their own ‘products’. Although the ad
doesn’t take itself seriously, it would be a boon to the brand if pub-goers nationwide
began to order a glass of water by asking for a Guinness Clear, or perhaps asking for ‘a pint of the clear
stuff’, and continued to do so after the Six Nations Championship ended (and I
bet the ad agency involved secretly hoped this would happen). This is because
it would mean brand awareness is heightened further and Guinness is a little bit
closer to the top of drinkers’ minds when they’re in the pub, perhaps
increasing the chances that the next alcoholic drink they order might be a real
Guinness.
I’m a
teetotaler, so I don’t go to pubs as often as I used to before I stopped drinking alcohol four years ago. In the times that I have been to a pub since this ad
aired, I haven’t heard anyone jokingly order a pint of water by asking for a pint
of Guinness Clear (nor take many soft drink inbetweeners for that matter), so I
think this probably won’t catch on. However, even if it doesn’t, what we’re
left with is a very good advert, another one to add to Guinness’ catalogue.
