GUINNESS LAUNCHES FESTIVE CAMPAGIN
With December proving to be a natural peak for beer sales year on year, Diageo Great Britain (GB) is this year looking to drive sales of the category through key brand Guinness with a £2m festive media campaign.
Total Beer grew +1% in Christmas 2010 vs 2009 so Diageo aims to continue and accelerate this trend by targeting both in and out-of-home occasions.
Guinness provides an opportunity to add value back into the beer category, particularly at this time of year, when consumers and shoppers are looking to treat themselves more than normal.
The brand will be marketed under the strapline “celebrate this Christmas with a Guinness”.
Taking advantage of the traditional Christmas party season and the influx of people enjoying out-of-home occasions, six sheet posters will appear nationwide to help drive sales.
Large-format outdoor posters will also be displayed in selected high footfall areas including London and Birmingham.
Helping to drive mass awareness in the home, Guinness will also feature in a twenty second TV ad throughout December, spanning TV, pub TV and digital channels.
The ad focuses solely on the liquid surging into a glass over a soundtrack of Christmas classic “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”, before ending on the tagline “Dreaming of a white and black Christmas” – referring to the Guinness colours.
Targeting the ever-growing digital market, an interactive Christmas themed iAd for iPhone and iPad users will give consumers tips on upcoming events including gigs, comedy nights and special pub nights as well as fun games and a quiz.
For Apple and Android users, an augmented reality app downloadable through Blippar will allow consumers to scan a pint or can of Guinness and decorate it with festive ornaments to share via social media platforms.
Nick Britton, Senior Brand Manager Guinness Western Europe said:
“Guinness is synonymous with the Christmas season, whether it is enjoying a can in front of a festive film or a cold pint of draught at Christmas parties.
“We hope to really tap into all these drinking occasions, particularly amongst male drinkers who make up a significant number of Guinness drinkers.
“Men are notoriously hard to buy for and often receive gifts they don’t really want, when in many instances they would prefer the simple present of a pint of Guinness”.
