AMV Guinness ad puts pint at centre of story

By EMMA HALL, Campaign, Friday, 15 May 1998 12:00AM

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO unveils its first Guinness work this weekend, with an epic spot that breaks during Saturday’s FA Cup Final.

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO unveils its first Guinness work this

weekend, with an epic spot that breaks during Saturday’s FA Cup

Final.

Abbott Mead, which won the account from Ogilvy & Mather in January,

builds on Guinness’s famous ’anticipation’ strategy with the strapline,

’Good things come to those who wait.’

The 60-second commercial, which has a media budget of pounds 3 million

over four weeks, is set in an Italian village and follows the story of

two elderly brothers, one of whom is a former swimming champion.

Marco takes part in an annual race in which he attempts to cross the

village bay before a pint of Guinness, poured by his brother, has

settled.

The whole village assembles to cheer on Marco, who is unaware that his

bar-owner brother delays pouring the pint long enough to ensure that he

succeeds.

Andy Fennell, the marketing controller for Guinness Great Britain, said:

’We want to make Guinness more accessible and to have more people enjoy

it. The film is not challenging; it is a human drama that makes you feel

good and brings the pint back to centre stage.’

Guinness has calculated that it takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect

pint, a fact that will form a core part of the brewer’s through-the-line

promotional work.

The commercial was directed through Academy by Jonathan Glazer, who

describes its style as ’neo-realist’. It was written and art directed by

Tom Carty and Walter Campbell.

Media buying is through MindShare.

This article was first published on Campaign