The campaign, by Saatchi & Saatchi EMEA, commemorates the signing of the lease on its brewery at St. James's Gate, Dublin.
In the TV ad, a drinker in a traditional Irish pub notices the 1759 date on his pint glass and raises his glass to toast its founder, Arthur Guinness. Another person hears the toast and raises his pint, and the toast spreads out across the city and across the world. As the camera pans out, viewers are encouraged to ‘join the worldwide celebration of a man named Arthur and a beer named Guinness'.
A second humorous version of the ad sees the toast ‘To Arthur' become misinterpreted as it travels the globe, becoming a toast ‘To Farmers,' ‘To Llamas' and ‘To Parsnips'.
Further to the TV activity, Diageo is rolling out a number of ‘Arthur's Day' events on 24 September, to be held in cities including Dublin, New York, Lagos and Kuala Lumpur.
The company is also rolling out an extravagant consumer promotion - offering Guinness drinkers the chance to travel into space courtesy with Virgin Galactic, see a private gig with pop band the Black Eyed Peas, and drink a Guinness at an under water bar only accessible by submarine.
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