Irish stout brand Forged, owned by mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor launches a nostalgic animated spot to spotlight the craft in brewery, marking its first ever St Patrick’s Day advert.
Created by Dublin-based agency Third Mind Design the spot is created using solely animation methods that were available 100 years ago to create the likes of ‘Mickey Mouse’ and ‘Steamboat Willie’.
Through an animation which took over ten months to produce, the advert transports viewers to a cosy tavern where a barman and his patrons become drawn to what sounds like a bell, but as they march towards the clanging it becomes apparent that the sound is actually a blacksmith tapping on his anvil.
The barman then tosses the blacksmith a threepence coin which then transforms into molten metal before being forged into a claymore sword etched with Ogham Writing, before a hand grabs what seemed to be the sword but actually turns out to be a bar tap, in a nod to craftsmanship (and the quintessentially Irish traditions of stout and St Patrick’s Day).
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Since launching in July 2023, Forged has been distributed in over 1,000 pubs and bars in the UK with off-trade distribution in over 400 stores including Asda.
“The craft involved in creating the world’s creamiest Irish stout is unlike any other beer process. It’s incredibly labour intensive and we wanted to pay respect to that by creating a very unique ad campaign by hand,” said Forged Irish Stout CMO Doug Leddin.
“This was an incredibly difficult task, but just like the owner of Forged Irish Stout, Conor McGregor, we weren’t phased by the challenge. We teamed up with some of the world’s most talented and creative individuals to create a very bespoke ad, one that we are all very proud of,” he continued.
Third Mind’s Max Fedorov added: “With it’s rich narrative, captivating visuals, and unmistakable Irishness we shot this advert to captivate audiences into the world of Forged Irish Stout.”
“We decided against using the traditional white or paper background for animation, choosing instead to nod to the Forged brand colours of cream and yellow on a black background, which meant an incredibly long production timeline.”
