Diageo brand Guinness has launched its largest global campaign ever in celebration of the brand's new status as the Official Beer and Official Non-Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League.
Helmed by the brand's agency of record AMV BBDO, the brand highlights the campaign's scale, calling it Guinness' "biggest-ever global campaign."
Broadcasted in over 920 million householdsacross 189 countries, Guinness required a campaign big enough for the league's massive audience.
Global Brand Director Stephen O’Kelly said in a news release that the campaign is meant for the brand to be a part of millions of fans' enjoyment and celebration of the game and the league.
"For Guinness, it's an amazing opportunity to continue the success of the Guinness brand globally and become part of new rituals and existing traditions worldwide, by creating imaginative stories and experiences that tap into the passions and connections between the beautiful game, and the beautiful beer,” O'Kelly added.
Titled "Lovely Game for a Guinness," the campaign kicked off with retired professional football player and top goal scorer Alan Shearer unveiling 20 customized tankers that represent all the Premier League clubs.
The tankers delivered Guinness and Guinness 0.0 to bars and pubs ahead of the league's August 16 opening.
Prominently featured in the tankers is the Guinness harp, which is one of the most iconic beer logos in the world.
New beer companies should take inspiration from it, along with these best beer logo designs, when creating their own.
For the Love of Football
The campaign features four spots, which will air in different countries.
"Eriskay" is set on the titular tiny Scottish island, where the only soccer team is made up of 10% of the population.
It depicts a football-loving town, whose residents must travel through a beautiful, vast countryside just to play on a pitch.
After an intense match on a bumpy field that was frequently interrupted by balls flying and horses running across the pitch, the entire group heads to the pub to enjoy freshly poured glasses of Guinness 0.0, the brand's non-alcoholic beer.
The spot debuted in the U.K. and Ireland last Friday.
A second spot, titled "Brothers," is a re-airing of a 2022 commercial in Africa that centers around two brothers in Nigeria who share their love of football with all of their neighbors.
The action-packed, fast-paced ad begins with brothers Miracle and Abidemi, two brothers beloved by their community for hosting football matches and screenings.
Miracle, a man with a big personality and an even bigger sense of style, still manages to enjoy the game with a bottle of Guinness in hand, despite being blind.
"Football is not just about what we see, but what we feel," narrates Abidemi, while the huge crowd around them cheers as their favorite team scores a goal.
The third and fourth spots, titled "Rooftop" and "Replay," both take place in Seoul, South Korea.
They will be released in the coming weeks, each featuring community-specific stories written to resonate with the audience.
Guinness Sees Growth
Guinness replaced Budweiser as the Premiere League's beer partner in June after edging out Heineken with a multimillion-pound bid.
In the same month, Diageo also released a report showing that Guinness 0.0 sales have more than doubled year-over-year (YoY) globally.
The brand is currently the market leader in three major non-alcoholic markets: Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.
According to Guinness Global Marketing Director for Sports Partnerships Somnath Gupta, a study conducted by the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR) states the market for non-alcoholic spirits is expected to see 4% growth by 2027, with Guinness 0.0 being a valuable growth driver.
Guinness' entry into the Premier League is a strategic move to further widen its market share and cement its position as a market leader.
Fans can expect to see more of the brand in the 2024-2045 season, its ads may begin popping up more than usual due to a recommendation by members of Parliament in the U.K. to cut down on gambling ads.
Guinness previously launched another big spot earlier this year, featuring none other than Jason Momoa in a campaign titled "Lovely Day."
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
