The craic is out for Guinness in new TV campaign celebrating St Patrick's Day

LONDON - Guinness has launched its new television campaign, created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, which sees locals celebrating the spirit of St Patrick's Day unleashed from a landlady's mysterious old jar of 'Craic'.

The new ad is encouraging people to enjoy "the craic", the Irish term for a good time, of St Patrick's Day.

It is something Diageo Great Britain certainly knows something about. Five times more Guinness is sold in the UK on St Patrick's Day than any other day of the year.

The 30-second TV spot, backed by online and outdoor advertising activity, centres on a packed local pub where regulars gather round in front of a landlady who unlocks a safe using a key around her neck and takes out an old jar, labeled "The Craic".

The jar starts rattling and the landlady slowly unscrews the lid. After a final rattle, the lid flies off the jar and the pub erupts in celebration.

Viewers then see that the intensity of the craic appears to have blown out the street lights and small pockets of light begin to emerge as pubs across the city start celebrating. The spot ends with a flash reminding viewers of the date of celebrations, March 17.

Diageo is putting posters in 20,000 UK pubs and will use an internet campaign to drive drinkers into pubs in the day.

The campaign was written by Stephen Moss, directed by Elliot Hegarty through Infinity and art directed by Jolyon Finch. Media was planned and bought by Carat.

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