Guinness launches epic new £5m ad campaign

Guinness has launched a new £5m advertising campaign to mark the brand's change of position to a drink for casual drinking occasions and lively nights out.

An epic new advert that focuses on the world coming to life will reach 80 per cent of 25-40 year-old males and aims to drive sales on the run up to Christmas.

The tone of the 'Bring it to Life' campaign is a move away from the iconic 'Good Things Come to Those Who Wait' adverts, which focused on the premium nature of the drink.

Paul Cornell, marketing manager for Guinness, Diageo GB said: "We are trying to increase the occasions people drink Guinness.

"The 'Good Things..' campaign has done a great job of getting across the aspirational and distinctive nature of the brand, but it has pigeon holed us into certain drinking occasions. There is a perception that the drink is heavy, serious and exclusive and not full of life."

In the ad a group of men bring the world to life by flooding the earth to create an ocean and dragging fields and trees over desolate land to create land and forests.

The creation of the earth is supposed to mirror the creation of a perfect pint of Guinness as it is poured and settled on the bar.

Cornell said: "We are now targeting the Thursday, Friday, Saturday mid to high tempo occasion. The truth is that the product comes to life in front of your eyes at the bar. That's our unique selling point and we want to focus on that. To launch this needed to do something epic. And you can't get bigger than bringing the world to life."

The new advert will run as 90, 60, 30 and 20 second ads on TV as well as in cinema, online and in print. It premieres tonight (Wednesday November 4) on Sky Sports HD during the Champions League Liverpool match.

Cornell said a focus of the campaign was to drive sales in the on-trade. It is hoped an extra 10 million pints will be sold. The volume of Guinness sold over the past 12 months to July 09 is down by 4.5 per cent or three per cent in the last six months. However according to AC Nielsen, the beer category overall is down 9.5 per cent over the last 12 months and seven per cent over the last six months.

POS kits featuring window stickers, drip mats and posters will be sent out to 6,500 pubs.