Video: Rugby legends star in new ads for Guinness
It is hoped the ads, part of the brand’s on-going Made of More campaign, will “rally the fans” ahead of the upcoming Autumn Internationals, which start this weekend.
“Guinness has a long-standing association with rugby, as sponsor of all four Rugby Unions; Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland,” said Stephen O’Kelly, marketing director Western Europe at brand owner Diageo.
“Rather than focusing on the physical attribute of brute strength normally found in rugby adverts, these four films look to inner qualities like humility, dedication, self-belief, and irrepressible spirit. It is the triumph of these qualities that we celebrate and which have helped the ads hero’s leave a lasting mark on the game.”
The first ad will air tomorrow (5 November 2014) and the campaign will be boosted with activity in 30 pubs and bars close to stadia such as Twickenham and Murrayfield. The company has also teamed up with Matchpint, which will be operating in over 500 on trade venues around the country, offering consumers who sign up and share their details the opportunity to receive a free pint of the Black Stuff.
The four ads in detail:
1) Jonny Wilkinson: Merci; focuses on the great fly half’s humility, dedication to the game, and relentless resolve to bounce back from a raft of injuries, leading to him being as well-loved in Toulon as he is in England (see ad above)
2) Shane Williams: Mind Over Matter; celebrates the Welsh winger’s determination to prove people wrong after he was told he was too small to make it in rugby.
3) Bill McLaren: Irrepressible Spirit; looks at how the legendary commentator overcame tuberculosis, which cut short his playing career, and found a way back to the game he loved to become the Voice of Rugby.
4) Munster: David and Goliath; retells the historic victory of Irish team, Munster, over New Zealand, during which a group of ordinary men defied circumstance to achieve something extraordinary.
