Irish people love the idea of drinking stout, but they don’t always love the taste of it. The most common complaint is that it can be too bitter. So Heineken Ireland decided to create a stout that is simply less bitter. They called it Island’s Edge.
Twelve months since its launch, Island’s Edge has released its latest campaign with Publicis Dublin: “It’s better, less bitter”.
The campaign salutes those who let go of their bitterness and share the belief that life, much like stout, is better less bitter. Directed by David Shane and produced by O Positive Films, this spot is set in a cozy Irish pub and shows how one customer overhearing that Island’s Edge is “just less bitter” quickly turns into customers from every corner of the pub stepping forward with announcements that show they are less bitter too.
Ger Roe, board creative director at Publicis Dublin, said, “While Ireland is often recognized as being one of the friendliest countries in the world we do tend to hold onto our hurts for a time. The key thing that makes Irish people different from others is that we’re pretty good at laughing at them too.”
Roe said with this campaign, they needed to “be authentic but do it with a bit of personality. With a key product differentiator of ‘less bitterness’ it gave us a brilliant jumping off point. It also allowed us to leverage that emotional truth about Irish people while giving us an opportunity to differentiate with our brand personality too. We loved the idea of people trying to move on or hide their bitterness. David Shane is a master at getting authentic comedic performances out of actors and totally got what we were trying to do. Because much like Island’s Edge Irish stout, the clever and entertaining part is hiding the bitterness. It’s still there, just a bit less of it.”
Shane shared, “There’s nothing more interesting to me than people trying not to reveal what they’re really thinking. There were so many slights and resentments under the surface of this smart hilarious script. It has everything I’m always looking for in an ad and rarely see.”
CreditsClient Heineken Ireland Agency Publicis Dublin Ger Roe, board creative director; Peter Dobbyn, creative director; Paul O’Loughlin, sr. copywriter; Chloe Hanratty, head of strategic planning; Denisse Achata, strategic planning director; Niamh Skelly, head of production; Claire Boylan, content producer; Philip Byrne, content director. Production Company O Positive David Shane, director; Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill, exec producers; Nell Jordan, producer; Sebastian Blenkov, DP; Michael Clancy, director asst. Editorial Assembly Rooms Adam Spivey, editor. ProductionService Company Saturday Films. Sound Design Folding Waves. Media Agency Dentsu Research MCCP Kay McCarthy, managing director; Mary Sheahan, insight director
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More