What are ye workin' on now?

Guinness had an interesting marketing problem: it’s not only an acquired taste, but an acquired skill to pour and drink Guinness. As the quintessential draft pub quaff, it’s not “obvious” to think about the charcoaly brew in bottles– which research shows 90% of American beers are drunk from. So, the purpose of this campaign was to boost sales by stating what should be obvious: that “it’s OK to drink Guinness” from the bottle.

Enter our star Irish brewmasters, deftly animated in Monty Python style. This was an inspired bit of concepting. Using the Python approach instantly gives it an authentic “English/Irish” vibe, instantly reinforces the idea that this is an old, established and quality beer, and gives the campaign a look that stands out from all the other beer spots.

The humorous creative execution is also inspired. The Irish Brewmasters work together like James Bond and “Q”. One guy is the idea guy, who bounces his ideas off his partner, who verifies each idea as being, “Brilliant!” and then spurs him on with, “What else are ye workin’ on?” The inventor comes up with the idea for the bottle, the six-pack, and also the telephone, suntan lotion and other staples of modern life. They even manage to easily shoehorn in the concept of responsible drinking every now and then.

Are you starting to see a trend here? I sure am: campaigns that truly stand out in their visual approach go a long way to busting clutter, no matter what the message is. It won’t save a weak idea by itself (there are many examples of high impact art direction that’s dressing up a pig’s ear of an “idea”) but can take a solid concept and send it over the top. It’s something to think about whenever starting a new campaign. Or for mid-development, when you’ve got a solid idea, but maybe a flat, uninspired execution.

You might be one tweak away from turning a so-so campaign into one that’s truly “Brilliant!”