Rockshore, the Diageo-owned Irish lager and cider brand, has drafted in Boyzone’s Ronan Keating for its Boxing Day-focused beer campaign.
The unconventional Christmas advert, created by M&C Saatchi, builds on the success of this summer’s ‘refreshingly Irish’ brand campaign launch and declares 26 December to be ‘the most refreshing time for a beer’.
Instead of focusing on Christmas Day – typically the focal point of the season for families – Diageo looked to target drinkers aged between 25 and 40, with the multichannel campaign showcasing the spirit of playful friendship.
The series of humorous films show Ronan Keating singing ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time of Year’ and dishing out banter before heading to the pub with his friends.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning
“For most people, particularly families, Christmas day is the most important day of the festive season. However, as a brand which is all about playful banter as a sign of affection between friends, we didn’t feel we had as big a role to play on the 25 December,” said Diageo head of beer Linda Bradley.
“The 26 December is a day for mates to head to the pub, making it the perfect territory for Rockshore to own. So to build excitement for St Stephen’s Day, we’re excited to launch our first ever anthem, performed by the brilliant Ronan Keating,” she continued.
M&C Saatchi strategy director Ellie Boxall said: “It was evident from the start of this process that to drive fame in the noisy festive period we needed to find a clear role for Rockshore that was as ‘Refreshingly Irish’ as the brand.”
“It takes a brave client to buy a festive idea that’s not about Christmas, so we’re thrilled that Diageo was willing to take the risk.”
