Jameson, the UK’s no.1 Irish Whiskey, is inviting everyone to ‘Widen the Circle’ this St. Patrick’s Day as part of a £multi-million campaign to generate mass awareness around the brand. Launching on 23rd February for six weeks, Jameson will be significantly investing in On- and Off-Trade activity, experiential and PR, supported by TV, Cinema, BVOD and social media, following the launch of the brand’s latest global campaign. The fully integrated campaign is set to engage with consumers across a broad range of platforms and drive preference amongst existing and new brand fans.
The new campaign features Irish actor, writer and comedian Aisling Bea, the creator and star of BAFTA award-winning show ‘This Way Up’ and Netflix’s ‘Living With Yourself’. Built on Jameson’s long held belief that life is better shared by inviting others in for those moments of authentic human connection, the advert brings to life witty awkward social situations where people just click. The 30 second hero advert will dominate the March period and beyond, reaching over 71% of UK ABC1 25-44 year olds.
Jameson will also be partnering with key customers to offer consumers the chance to claim one of 20,000 Jameson, Ginger Ale & Lime or Jameson Orange & Lemonade serves on the house. The digitally focused activity will support the On-Trade through a simple game mechanic designed to drive footfall back into venues, and POS kits including branded bunting, tent cards and coasters will also be available. The Irish Whiskey brand will also be partnering with the London Eye to create a Jameson Pub Pod takeover, allowing up to 12 guests to enjoy two free Jameson serves during their ride from 25th February.
To further drive trial, the brand will be hosting a ‘Jameson Open House Party’ at The Bike Shed in London’s Hackney from 11th - 19th March to surprise and delight consumers with spontaneous fun and invite them to widen the circle. The experiential activity will feature bands and DJs performing in the living room, kitchen comedy sessions, a foosball club in the games room, as well as Jameson Black Barrel Old Fashioned masterclasses. Tickets for the experience cost £15 and include two drinks and a masterclass.
Jameson has also developed a range of in-store POS materials for Off-Trade retailers including branded shippers and aisle fins in grocery, as well as sales driver kits including counter mats, shelf-edge barkers and strut cards for the convenience channel to drive visibility at the last three feet. Online assets will highlight the full Jameson portfolio to prompt trade up to premium styles from the brand such as Jameson Black Barrel.
Leanne Banks, Marketing Director at Pernod Ricard UK, comments: “The world celebrates Irishness each St. Patrick’s Day and, as the icon of Irish Whiskey, it’s an occasion that consumers and our customers expect to see and hear from Jameson. The brand has a rich heritage of bringing people together for shared moments of true connection and its smooth taste has always invited more people into our circle. We want to encourage consumers to spark conversation over a glass of Jameson and ‘Widen the Circle’ is our inclusive invitation to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with friends old and new.
We have consistently invested in the occasion and this year will be going even bigger. Our new campaign will move away from the heavy broadcast campaigns of previous years to a more integrated multi-touchpoint approach, that will allow us to engage in a two-way dialogue with consumers in a relevant way. We look forward to delivering fun and engaging experiences that will inspire consumers to connect with others.”
Jameson is performing ahead of Total Whisky in the Off-Trade (+6.1% growth vs. -0.7% for the category), and is leading the growth of Irish Whiskey in the UK, holding a 77.2% value share[1]. Jameson Black Barrel is also the top growth contributor in super-premium Irish Whiskey for two consecutive years, seeing growth of +34.3% over the last 12 weeks[2]. In the On-Trade, Jameson is growing +6.1% vs. pre-COVID levels[3] and the brand has also recently been recognised as the top trending and best-selling Irish Whiskey by some of the world’s best bars[4].
