You don’t have to drink, to be part of the flock
At its core, Guinness 0.0 is about inclusivity and the power of togetherness, and by re-imagining this classic icon Guinness 0.0 aims to demonstrate that ‘you don’t have to drink, to be part of the flock’.
Guinness 0.0 is growing from strength to strength so it’s fitting that one of the most iconic characters in advertising history returns as its official mascot, which hasn’t been used in Irish ads since 2009.
This campaign is an open invitation for people to re-appraise how they socialise and consume alcohol in the pub, and a bold challenge from Guinness 0.0 to make moderation aspirational.
The way people socialise continues to change but the pub remains an important part of the cultural fabric of Ireland and a place for people to connect with friends and family, whether they chose to drink alcohol or not.
The journey of Guinness 0.0 has drawn on Guinness’ proud history of brewing, innovation and quality. That history comes with nearly 100 years of iconic advertising heritage, including the mischievous Toucan.
Guinness 0.0 is now available on draught in more than 1,000 pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels across Ireland, following a successful trial to ensure its quality and freshness in keg format through traditional beer lines.
Created together with the agency Forsman & Bodenfors, the distinctive Guinness 0.0 platform includes a series of out-of-home executions which went live on 15 January , supported by social and digital, playfully celebrating the joy of togetherness.
Speaking about the creative platform, Alan McAleenan, marketing director, Guinness Ireland said: “More and more consumers are moderating their drinking, and we believe in the role Guinness 0.0 can play, so when it came to choosing a new face for the non-alcoholic alternative, we simply had to bring our most famous icon out of retirement. This new campaign reimagines the vibrancy and humour of the Guinness Toucan. Guinness 0.0 allows consumers to come together and enjoy the atmosphere and craic that is synonymous with the Irish pub without any of the alcohol.”
Senior creatives at Forsman & Bodenfors Agnes Stenberg-Schentz and Marcus Hägglöf commented on the partnership: “Working on Guinness 0.0 together with the brilliant team at Diageo is beyond exciting. Guinness is a unique brand, with an incredible legacy. We’re looking forward to re-imagining the brand’s icons to support the growth of Guinness 0.0.
The launch of this new creative platform follows an exciting announcement of a major €25 million investment in new production facilities for Guinness 0.0 at St James’s Gate to meet domestic and global demand. Today almost 5% of Guinness brewed at St James’s Gate is now Guinness 0.0. It is brewed in the exact same way as Guinness before the alcohol is gently removed through a cold filtration process.
In 1935 John Gilroy created a series of illustrations incorporating animals into advertising posters but the most famous of all is the Guinness Toucan. The Toucan was so successful that it returned on a range of posters in 1953 and again in the 1980s for a series of humorous television commercials, however this is the first time the Toucan will be featured in Irish ads since 2009.
