Be among trailblazing marketing pros at Brandweek this September 23–26 in Phoenix, Arizona. Experience incredible networking, insightful sessions and a boost of inspiration at ADWEEK’s ultimate brand event. Register by May 13 to save 35%.
When the sun comes out, people’s first instinct might not be to reach for a dark, creamy stout, sometimes seen as a heavier drink more suitable for cold weather. But Guinness, a leader in the stout category, wants to be the go-to at backyard barbecues as much as in cozy pubs.
In the Diageo brand’s summer campaign, which rolled out this week, a pint of the black stuff goes hand in hand with a warm, sunny day. Created by longtime agency AMV BBDO, the ads depict Guinness against blue skies, with friends sipping it at a picnic table—debunking the perception that it is primarily a wintry drink.
With this feel-good marketing, Guinness hopes to build on the success of last summer’s campaign, which resulted in sales of 51.1 million pints in the U.K.—5.6 million more than the same period in 2022. The campaign also helped grow Guinness’s share of on-trade beer sales by 0.9% to 7.2%, the brand’s highest ever share over summer.
Guinness’s summer boost mirrors wider growth in the stout category. The consumption of stout globally increased by 11% between 2021 and 2022, according to drinks market analyst IWSR. This figure was higher in the U.K., one of the largest stout markets, where growth over the period was 23%.
Roisin Vulcheva, head of beer insights at IWSR, told The Guardian in April that this rise in stout partly came from “an expanding consumer base,” especially among women and young people. Experts also attributed the growth to effective marketing from brand leaders like Guinness.
For the past few years, Guinness has been on a mission to change its image as a beverage just for “older, characterful men in pubs” and “make it more relevant to more people on more occasions,” marketing director Anna MacDonald told ADWEEK.
“It wasn’t necessarily a bad image, but it’s not one that everyone can relate to,” she explained. “We had no problem with brand awareness, but many saw Guinness as a brand for ‘people like that.’”
With a different approach, Guinness set out to be a brand for the many.
Reaching overlooked groups
Guinness is already well known for its creative advertising. Its vintage posters are sold as wall art, and commercials like 1999’s “Surfer” are celebrated as some of the best ads of all time.