Role

Concept, Art Direction and Design.

Brief

To make members of the Guinness CRM Programme feel warm to the brand on their Birthday and encourage them to celebrate it with friends and a pint of the black stuff.

Strategy

It’s a sad fact that as we get older we get fewer Birthday cards. So a timely message from an old friend like Guinness not only puts our Birthday boys (and girls) in a good mood, but is a ‘not so subtle’ reminder of how best to celebrate another candle on the cake.

For the younger, less traditional and more internet-savvy members of the data-base, an entertaining email creates more cut through than a paper based (or electronic) Birthday card. While we cannot underestimate the importance of being remembered on your Birthday, the email comms has the added viral potential of being used to invite friends and family to their Birthday celebration. In essence, entertainment first, drive consumption second.

Solution

For 2006-7 we created a short personalised movie of a pub landlord wishing the recipient Happy Birthday. The landlord tries pulls a pint and tries to get it through the screen - to no avail. No fear, the viral aspect of the piece allows our Birthday boy to personalise an invite to a friend. Additionally, the email can be personalised and re-sent to friends, inviting them to a pub of their choice.

Results

60% opened the email. 95% of those interacted fully. 96% unprompted recall in post campaign research. Whilst it’s difficult to measure uplift per consumer as a direct result of this activity, if the 30,000 people we know fully interact with the email every month, use the email to get friends down the pub on their Birthday, that’s quite a lot of Guinness being supped. Plus 2 Grand Prix wins and 2 wins in the Connect Awards.

VIEW THE TMW CREATIVE DIRECTOR TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT

Ciara Meaney was employed by TMW for this project.