Sure, green beer or a Guinness are typical St. Patrick’s Day drinks, but Kahlúa hopes to shake things up this weekend with its Irish espresso martini. This stirring creation swaps vodka for Jameson Irish whiskey, following brand research showing that 30 percent of consumers feel obligated to order a beer on St. Patrick’s Day, even when it’s not what they want.

Starting today, Kahlúa is offering consumers an Irish espresso martini for free. Fans can enter online for a chance to score a deposit in Venmo to cover the beverage.

Promotions include a :30 from Wieden+Kennedy London that takes place in a pub on St. Patrick’s Day. A patron requests his usual fare—and as it’s poured, one would assume it’s a Guinness. But the band stops playing and regulars stop drinking to eye the man as he sips a “Black, Creamy Espresso Martini,” as the ad informs us near the end.

“In November when we launched the ‘Global Stir Up’ campaign with Salma Hayek Pinault, we aimed to challenge the category in a given occasion by inspiring consumers to uplift the mundane and switch from the status-quo option, in that case wine, to something that they really want to drink,” says Craig van Niekerk, global VP of marketing for Kahlúa. “This is indeed Kahlúa’s first-ever global campaign offering a bold way for people to stir up the beer-centric holiday with an Espresso Martini.”

OOH ads continue with digs at Guinness. They show espresso martinis presented in mini pints, making so they resemble tiny Guinness pours (but the coffee beans area dead giveaway.)

The campaign will run in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland.

“Filming took place in London and Ireland with the Oscar-nominated director behind Derry Girls, Michael Lennox, to ensure authenticity. Our Irish star duo, Tadgh and Derry Fleming, had the whole cast up jigging at several points during filming,” Freddy Taylor and Philippa Beaumont, creative directors at Wieden+Kennedy London, tell Muse. “Look closely and you’ll be able to spot the worst ever poured pint of stout being consumed by an influencer famous for his critiques of stouts. We also made the cast dress like stouts!”

Slainté… or Salud, everyone!

We ultimate learn he’s just 2 percent Irish. Still, that’s more than enough with St. Patrick’s Day a week away.

 “Lovely Day” will run all year on digital, social media and TV, with new footage and variations to follow.

“This is more than just another partnership: together with Jason, we are starting a new chapter in our iconic story that will bring Guinness to more people, places and celebrations,” says Joyce He, Guinness U.S. brand director, in press materials. “I can’t wait to keep sharing with the world what we already know: any day is a lovely day for a Guinness.”

Four years ago, Ireland suffered a stinging defeat at the Rugby World Cup. In 2023, the squad’s a favorite to prevail at the competition, which starts today in France.

But if you love the team … don’t talk about it, not a whisper, not a peep, zip it!

Ronan Keating’s laid-back “When You Say Nothing at All” works well on the soundtrack. And Biscuit Filmworks director James Rouse adopts a comic-documentary style well-suited to the subject. Note the cute reveal that lunfurls at the end.

“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,” say AMV BBDO creative Will Brookwell and Louis Prenaud. “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.”

One of the highlights on his reel is the anthemic Guinness spot “Black Shines Brightest.” Filmed in Lagos, the commercial celebrates African culture and features Nigerian designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal, who is known for creating androgynous menswear; Nigerian inventor Kehinde Durojaye, who shows off a jet car he made from trash; and Ghanian dancer/choreographer Incredible Zigi.

Another highlight: Toyota’s “Training Wheels.” Shot in Los Angeles, this inspiring spot focuses on a boy who learns to ride a bike, how to swim, and how to fly a plane with the help of his father and Black change-makers who mentor him throughout his life.

What’s more, Alabi co-directed, along with Bernardo Ruiz, the docuseries Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever, which debuted on Disney+ earlier this year. And he just directed his debut feature film, Water and Garri, starring singer Tiwa Savage.

The director first made a name for himself in music videos. In addition to directing clips for Burna Boy, Wizkid and Stormzy, Alabi was one of the producers of the Nigerian footage seen in Beyoncé’s Black Is King visual album. He is also credited as a co-director on the Grammy Award-winning music video for Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl,” (directed by Queen Bey and Jenn Nkiru).

Below, Alabi reveals how he got into filmmaking, describes the production scene in Lagos and goes behind-the-scenes of some of his recent projects.

MUSE: How did you become a director? Was anyone in your family in a creative industry?

Meji Alabi: No. My family, we’re Nigerian. I grew up around athletes. Sports was our thing. That’s what my dad knew about, and that’s what I got into, whether it was running track or basketball, American football, tennis as well. I spent most of my childhood playing sports and skateboarding. I moved back to England because I wanted to be a professional footballer in soccer. When I eventually got injured, I decided to leave the football dream, and I focused on my other love, which was creating visuals and music videos for friends.

How did you go from making music videos for friends to becoming a professional filmmaker?

I created my own company, JM Films, in Nigeria. I started building within the Nigerian community, and I got a lot of great experience. JM got the attention of Black Dog and RSA, and that allowed me access to some of the brands that you see us working with today.

What is the production scene like in Lagos?

There’s a lot of creative energy. Nigerians have a special sense of, “I have to do this, I have to win, I have to push myself to greater heights.” We’ll do anything to make sure that we make it. So it’s a special place. It brings out the best in you. It brings out the fighter in you.

Can you talk about making the Guinness spot “Black Shines Brightest”?

I worked with AMV BBDO on that—a wonderful creative team. They gave me the brief, but they also said, “Just do your thing. You know this place better than we do. You know what connects and what makes sense and what doesn’t and how we can bring it all together in an amazing way.” So the brief laid it out, but then I definitely brought my know-how, my local knowledge.

We tried to create a picture of Nigeria [showing] that anything can happen anywhere. As in, you turn a corner, and you see something that you wouldn’t necessarily see elsewhere. [In the spot], you go through the hole in the fence, and you see Kehinde, an inventor—he just makes things out of rubbish, and he made this [jet car] out of scrap metal and things like that.

The spot has so much energy and moves so fast. In the beginning, you go right from that guy painting a mural to horsemen galloping down the street as people cheer.

In the north, they have a big festival, and they have these crazy street races with horses. People are lined up on the side of the roads. It doesn’t necessarily happen inside of Lagos, but it’s a Nigerian experience.

Were the people in Lagos curious about the horses running down the street when you shot that scene?

It was kind of a closed set. We shot in Lagos Island. It’s a part of Lagos. It’s a great local community. We did street casting on the day. I love doing that. We had our specific cast. But I saw some amazing people who were just walking by in great outfits. I was like, “Hey, I want that person to jump into the crowd and be part of it.” Every time we shoot in Nigeria, I involve the locals as much as possible.

How much of your work do you shoot in Africa?

It’s always led from the creative, but I’m noticing there’s so much interest because this is a part of the world that most people haven’t seen or experienced, or they have a picture of it in their head that they were given many years ago. Now that we’re able to create content from there to sell to the world, they see a different side of Africa that they might not have before. So, I push for it when I can but only when it serves the creative.

Tell me about shooting Toyota’s “Training Wheels” last summer.

The agency wanted a story about someone being nudged forward in life. We had a lot of fun doing the casting, finding the right people. These are actual movement makers, people who changed the community around them. We had Demetrius Harris from Fly Compton. He actually teaches young people how to fly. Then there’s Paulana Lamonier, who runs Black People Will Swim, teaching Black people of all different ages how to swim. Then there’s Dr. Khalid el-Hakim. He runs the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, and he takes different artifacts around to schools, almost like a museum road show.

All of these people are huge in their communities. It was just great to be able to celebrate them while telling a story about a young boy who’s being pushed by positive people in his community. These people are actually real, which is special. That was the cool part of the casting process is we actually had real impact makers in our commercial.

And the father/son story was beautiful for me because I had recently taught my son how to ride a bike. I could relate to that opening scene. Also, my dad has been a huge part of my life. Both parents, but my father, he’s really pushed me forward through life.

The casting in the Oreo spot “Grandma’s Wish for You,” which has a sweet grandmother sharing all of the things she wants her granddaughter to experience in life, was also great.

A casting director in South Africa found her. We had a wonderful team down there. Her name is Lerma. In fact, she messaged me a month or two ago saying, “Hey, Meji, it’s been one year since our shoot. Just checking in to say hi.” She was so sweet. She was Filipino. On the day, she came with these spring rolls that she had made for the shoot. It actually felt like you had your grandma with you on the set. I try and find that special bit in each person and lean into that. 

Your work tends to be energetic and positive. For example, the empowering “we’ve got this” approach you took to making “Draw the Line,” a spot you did for the “Zero Malaria Starts With Me” campaign.

We’re putting the pressure on malaria. We’re attacking it rather than it attacking us. That’s the mindset—to move from a position of strength as we tackle this killer. It was such a pleasure working with such amazing talent—Eliud Kipchoge, the runner. And we had Faith Kipyegon, a wonderful runner, and we had David Beckham, and Yemi Alade, the singer from Nigeria.

In between those two films, I caught malaria in Ghana. I was in the hospital for days not knowing what was happening to me. I was literally near death, and it just reinforced everything for me—that what I’m doing [with these spots] makes sense. 

Outside of the ad world, you co-directed Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever docuseries, showing us how the music was made for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It must have been amazing to witness to the creation of the music featured in the film.

Most people don’t ever get an insight into how the music is made. So, for me, the experience was inspirational, everything that I could have imagined. For one of my first documentary projects to be a three-part documentary on Disney+ is pretty cool, and to be a small part of the Black Panther story is even better. 

OMG, they could drink you!

The song is Jim Steinman’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” made famous by Bonnie Tyler almost 40 years ago. Steinman’s bombastic tracks make any ad better, regardless of what’s being hyped. But this particular tune fits especially well, with the theme-line “Holding Out for a Zero” closing the ad.

Thankfully, they didn’t change the words and record a new version of the song. That would’ve been silly. Well, sillier than what’s actually on screen, anyway.

“This has been a dream brief to work on, to find an approach to the moderation message in a way only Guinness could,” says agency managing partner Nick Andrew.

The Diageo-owned brewer will make 50,000 free pints of Guinness 0.0 available across Ireland over the holiday weekend as part of what brand director Alan McAleenan calls, “our largest ever responsible drinking campaign.”

CREDITS

Client: Diageo
Brand: Guinness
Client execs: Alan McAleenan, Anna Sablovscaia and Anne Zahan

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
CCO: Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott
Creative Director: Nicholas Hulley, Nadja Lossgott and Andre Sallowicz
Creative Team: Scott Kelly, Alexandra Sandford-Smith, Colin Jones, Phil Martin, Nellie Santee and Sergio Takahata
Agency Planning Team: Joe Smith
Agency Account Team: Nick Andrew, Elana Murphy and Harry Frohlich
Agency Producer: Nick Godden, Kieran O’Malley and Sophie Alliot

Media Agency: PHD

Production Company: Red Studios
Director: Scott Kelly
Production Co. Producer: Nick Godden, Stan Stanworth
Edit: Sam Allen
Post-production Company: Daydreamervfx
Sound studio: sounds good
Photography Production Company: Yoke Production c/o Patrick Daly 
Photographer: Greg White c/o Picture Club
Post-Production: One White Chair c/o Karl Hugill
PR agency: WHPR

“Football is not just about what we see, but what we feel,” says Abidemi, an African soccer fanatic who shares an intense love for the game with his brother, Miracle, in a fresh Guinness spot from AMV BBDO. The 30-second spot, airing across Africa in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, celebrates the joy of fandom and the transcendent quality of sports.

We meet the brothers—portrayed by actors who aren’t actual siblings—in a local viewing center, where folks congregate night after night, like fervent parishioners, to worship at the altar of Messi, Pogba and other gods of the game. It’s a simple story imbued with considerable power, and a twist near the end that puts the noisy, joyous experience in perspective:

When we learn Miracle is blind—indeed, the actor has been sight-impaired since birth—the tale gains deeper meaning. He’s an avid “spectator” of these games, even though he can’t see. Moreover, everyone here is equal in their exuberance, brothers and sisters in a family of fans, their senses transported to a realm of pure excitement and delight.

Eschewing flashy visuals and CGI distractions, director Paul Ward creates an intimate, instantly relatable meditation on the human condition. “Brothers” casts football, sports and Guinness in the best possible light, as the Diageo brand, though not an official World Cup sponsor, seeks to bask in the tournament’s glow (diminished somewhat amid criticism of host nation Qatar’s record on human rights).

The heartfelt outing, part of Guinness’s broader “Black Shines Brightest” platform, provides a refreshing take on the fan phenomenon. It shares themes with recent ads from the NBA, TNT, the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit City F.C., but makes its point in an entirely different though no less compelling way.

Sightlessness has also played into a pair of other notable sports-minded campaigns. It drives this powerhouse film for Swiss sneaker brand Oh about the world’s fastest blind sprinter and informs a riveting mini doc chronicling an ad exec’s quest to run the Paris marathon while blindfolded. Both campaigns pack immense punch because of their focus on friendship, shared struggles and sweet triumphs. Such notions play into “Brothers” as well, elevating the brand message.

Below, Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott, CCOs at AMV BBDO London, discuss the campaign’s development.

Muse: Can you talk about the genesis of the idea?

Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott: The game of football is usually seen through a purely visual interpretation, but this story was written with a twist through comradery and communion, to make us experience it in a different way. It led to writing about two brothers that make the game brighter for everyone. Of course, the reveal is you don’t know Miracle is blind until the end. He brings the charisma, energy and flair to a game that makes the experience and the world even brighter.

Who’s the target audience, and what’s their big takeaway about the brand?

The core audience for this campaign is passionate football fans in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon and Ghana. Football is a major part of their social lives, from watching the games—at home or in bars and viewing centers—to following the sports news, social media conversations and discussing football throughout the week with friends. It’s a key source of entertainment and escapism. Guinness is a huge brand across the continent, popular with men and women of all ages, and has a strong association with football thanks to long-term sponsorship of the key broadcaster’s Premier League coverage.

Talk a bit about filming the spot.

It was filmed across two days: one day in our viewing center set (in Johannesburg), one in a car park which we morphed into a 5-a-side pitch where local footballers and fans were drawn in by Miracle’s commentary. This was done to show that his love for the game extends way beyond the really big “important” matches.

He gives a great performance.

Working with Miracle was fantastic. He embodied the character fully, bringing his own visually impaired experience to the performance. His charisma and spirit on set was so infectious that the energy on the shoot was electric. Football chants broke out spontaneously, with Miracle leading the way.

CREDITS

Client: Diageo
Brand: GUINNESS
Campaign title: “Brothers”
Client name: Olawale Adetula

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
CCO: Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley 
Creative Director: Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley          
Creative Team: Ben Smith and Dan Kennard
Agency Planning Team: Joe Smith
Agency Account Team: Ella Dolding and Elana Murphy
Agency Producer: Leo Rowbotham 

Media Agency: PHD and OMD South Africa

Production Company: Giant 
Director: Paul Ward
Production Co. Producer: Emma Lundy
Edit: Strangelove, Xander van der Westhuizen, and Emily Bussac
Post-production Company: UNIT 
Colour Grading: Alex Greory @ No8
Sound studio: Sam Ashwell @ 750mph
Audio Post-production: 750mph
Business Affairs: Maxine Thompson

Guinness applies a glass-half-full philosophy to another pandemic St. Patrick’s Day, seeking out silver linings as it celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in ads from Quaker City Mercantile and Farm League director Chris Malloy.

“Last St. Patrick’s Day, the world changed up on us all,” we’re told in the minute-long spot below. “Parades were canceled, and pubs had to shut down for a while. But we kept the lights on, and we got to thinking: ‘Well, we know a thing or two about grain, so let’s bake some bread for locals having a rough go of it.’ “

All-too-familiar images of deserted streets and empty bars give ways to the bustle of Guinness’s Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore, which has donated “Brewers Bread” to the Maryland Food Bank since last spring. (That’s 25,000 loaves so far.)

“We Irish look at the silver linings, not the clouds,” the voiceover continues. “And this is the day when we all get to be Irish, that’s the magic of St. Patrick’s Day. Can’t make it to the pub? Bring the pub home to you. Can’t go out with your friends? Make it a day to connect with your family. And remember to raise a pint for our local heroes.”

Over images of the Diageo brand’s famous St. James Gate in Dublin, and shots of locals raising their pints, the message concludes: “As for us, we signed a 9,000-year lease in our brewery a while back, so we’re not going anywhere.”

The push includes newspaper, billboard and digital elements, expanding on themes Guinness explored for that most Irish of holidays in 2020. Once again, the brand holding its head high and beckons better days.

“For the past year, we’ve been donating to and working with organizations that support restaurants, bars, bartenders, food banks, the fight for systemic justice, and frontline organizations,” says Guinness brand director Nikhil Shah. “We’ll continue to have the backs of those in need.”

Beyond its Baltimore bread-banking effort, Guinness has pledged $600,000 to various Covid-19 relief efforts, including those from Team Rubicon. Now, the brand invites fans to share what they’re toasting—by using the #AToastTo hashtag and tagging @GuinnessUS across Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The brewer will donate an additional $1 (up to $100,000) to its food charity partners for every post through March 21.

Also on tap:
• Bagpipers dispatched to towns and cities across the land, spreading St. Patty’s Day cheer.
• Open Gate celebrations including socially distanced movie nights and live music.
• Limited-edition holiday gear from the Guinness and Carhartt. (Wonder if they’ve got anything in green?)
• #AToastTo animated stickers from Holler, available via messaging keyboards and on Venmo.
• Limited-edition Guinness Draught “Sláinte” in 8- and 4-packs at retail.

Guinness is returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in more than a decade with a regional spot starring NFL legend Joe Montana, who uses a classic sports metaphor to deliver a hopeful message about Covid-19.

Montana, 64, a four-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, ruminates in the spot about what it means to be the GOAT, or “Greatest of All Time.” He then connects those lessons to our collective resilience as we look to bounce back from the devastating pandemic of the past year.

A 30-second version of the commercial will air in three markets during the game: Chicago, Orlando and San Francisco. It will also air in those same markets as well as three others—Los Angeles, New York City and Boston—during the pre- and postgame Super Bowl shows on CBS. (The Diageo brand is unable to advertise nationally on the game, as AB InBev has exclusive rights to the alcohol category during Super Bowl telecasts.)

“This is a moment to look for optimism, as the Irish have always done,” Jay Sethi, CMO of Diageo Beer Co., said in a statement. “We think we’ve found something uplifting to say at the right time, and in a way that captures that Guinness magic and good will. Especially right now, we want to remind people that if we look out for one another and keep moving forward, we’ll all come back better than ever. Having the ‘Comeback Kid,’ our friend Joe Montana, deliver the message felt absolutely perfect.”

AB InBev will also deliver a message of togetherness on Sunday with a brand spot that explores the phrase “Let’s grab a beer.” Its Bud Light brand, meanwhile, will air two more lighthearted spots—including one for Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade that depicts a rain of lemons as a metaphor for the troubles of 2020.

Quaker City Mercantile created the Guinness work in two shoots over three days—one with Montana at a football stadium, and the other with staff of the Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore, the U.S. home of Guinness.

Tuesday’s video was oddly Offerman-free. Still, we are promised that the official “Guinness Countdown to St. Patrick’s Day” will feature “daily reveals of tips, tricks, trivia and suggestions on everything from how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness to what foods pair best with that pint to how to give an authentic Irish toast and much, much more.”

“Look, St. Patrick’s Day is easily the best of the holidays, and I will brook no argument to that assertion,” Offerman said in a statement. “The charismatic folks at Guinness know a thing or two about how to celebrate my favorite day. You’ll be able to see it all on Instagram, but if I had to nutshell it, I’d say gather with your family and your friends, both old and new. Eat some delicious meats, like corned beef—straight up or in a hash—wash it down with a pint of Guinness, then wash the Guinness down with some more corned beef. A glass or two of water along the way never hurt, either.”

Guinness has also unveiled a collaboration with Carhartt, featuring various apparel, from tees to hoodies to hats and more. 

“The countdown to March 17 is on, and we hope our own countdown can add a little something to the St. Patrick’s Day experience,” said Guinness brand director Nikhil Shah. “As long as you’re celebrating with a Guinness and the people you love, and having a good safe time, you can’t go wrong.”

Offerman has pitched alcohol brands before, most notably having shot a 45-minute yule-log video for Scotch whisky Lagavulin.