Guinness' new ad just earned them a loyal customer
Now that's not to say that I haven't had Guinness before. I have.
In fact I'll pick it over a lot of other beers when my usual standby craft beers aren't available.
But their new ad struck a chord with me in a way that I can say no other beer commercial has done before.
Especially as a woman who, honestly, loves beer.
See, I've always taken issue with the image of the classic beer drinker: some super macho guy who loves sports and wears ball caps and dates cheerleaders.
Obviously I don't fit into any of those categories -I'm not a man, I don't like sports, I hate ball caps, I'm not a cheerleader... plus, I don't like men who like sports, wear ball caps and date cheerleaders. Those just aren't 'my' people.
They drink beer like me, but I've always felt removed from mainstream beer culture for those reasons -mainstream beer isn't "for" me.
But Guinness -which I consider to be a relatively 'mainstream' beer- really impressed me with their new commercial.
It's intense and moving. It shows people -men, specifically- being kind and considerate and genuinely good people. It shows them showing compassion for someone else.
Sure, there's some sports involved, but it doesn't feel like the same 'HURR HURR FOOTBALL' usually associated with beer commercials. It feels genuine.
The first few seconds are really intense and emotional, and when everyone gets up out of their wheelchairs and you realize that it's a bunch of dudes doing it for the benefit of their friend it just breaks your heart in this unspeakably wonderful way.
In particular I like the phrase they chose to use at the end of the commercial:
"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character"
because means so much more than just what we choose to drink at the bar.
Well done, Guinness. You've come out with a thoughtful, touching and elegant advertisement for your product and you've earned yourself a lifelong supporter.
