15913: Guinness Taste Barely Matters…?

Ogilvy Malaysia is responsible for this Guinness campaign. It’s a matter of taste, but it’s tough to see the conceptual value here…

 

 

14119: Seeing Exclusivity.

AMV BBDO produced this Guinness video featuring a blind footballer from Ghana. The video ends as the hero proclaims, “I am made of Black.” Wonder how he’d respond upon seeing that—based on the credits—the responsible creative team was made of Whites.

13842: Made Of More Stereotypes.

Adweek reported on a Guinness commercial starring the Compton Cowboys of South Central Los Angeles, created by White advertising agency AMV BBDO London. The spot is a rip-off of an iD Mobile commercial from White advertising agency CHI&Partners. Gee, White shops can’t even manage to hatch original stereotypes. What a bunch of horseshit.

Guinness Profiles the Compton Cowboys of L.A. in Its Latest Stirring ‘Made of More’ Ad

From AMV BBDO and Henry-Alex Rubin

By David Gianatasio

AMV BBDO London and acclaimed director Henry-Alex Rubin have developed new advertising for Guinness that profiles the Compton Cowboys, young men who’ve managed to break the cycle of violence and fear in hardscrabble South Central Los Angeles.

They’ve added purpose and meaning to their lives by caring for horses. In turn, the guys serve as beacons of hope for others as they ride, sometimes 10 abreast, through the neighborhood.

The story is extremely well told. Rubin, who directed last year’s lauded “Evan” spot for Sandy Hook Promise, deftly handles the material, delivering a perfect combination of poetry, grit and heart. His visual sense adds a lot to the story.

Shots of the shirtless, tatted guys sitting tall in the saddle amid a graffiti-tagged concrete wasteland are especially strong. A brief scene of Keenan Abercrombie riding proudly past an abandoned car-husk underscores the message that these dudes are determined to move forward despite the entropy around them.

That’s not to say the mood was deadly serious at the steamy four-day shoot in July.

“The cowboys certainly took to the Guinness,” recalls AMV BBDO creative director Steve Jones. “There was absolutely no difference in them when the director called ‘cut.’ They talked, laughed and drank just the same. Our director wisely just kept the cameras rolling, and what you see in the films [at various points] is just the guys with their friends, girlfriends and wives, thinking they’re between takes.”

It’s stirring work, part of Guinness’ celebrated “Made of More” series, though some commentators have pointed out that the brewer isn’t exactly blazing new trails here.

The campaign, which dropped this week, bears more than a passing resemblance to “Urban Riders,” an ad that CHI developed last year for iD Mobile. That work featured a similar group of men from Philadelphia and boasted a comparable vibe and storyline. (In fact, the Guinness work also evokes Almap BBDO’s powerful Pedigree film from a few years back.)

A rep for CHI brought the similarities to our attention, but declined further comment.

Are they wearing long faces at AMV BBDO over the similarities? Did they knowingly trot out a lookalike? We asked the agency to address the situation, but a rep said she’d have to check with the client before responding. We’ll update this item if and when we hear back.

12040: Fade From Black.

At YouTube, the Guinness Africa Made From Black video is getting quite a few charges of racism. Wonder how long it will take before Guinness shuts down the comments feature. And it’s a safe bet the White guys at Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO are scratching their heads and/or accusing the associates from BBDO offices in Africa—who worked “in conjunction” on the campaign—of dropping the ball. Another clear example of cross-cultural magic at work.

12022: Made Of Black Makes Comments.

At Ads of the World, the new Guinness Africa Made of Black campaign has drawn initial comments.

damnson: Uh…

Reality Check: What the world needs now is colour-blindness. Instead we get this colour-conscious campaign. For alcohol. Oh well.

morse: Totally agree.

kleenex: The print ads are not that good either. … A whole lot of wasted money is all I see here?

guajiro: now imagine the same spot with the word “white” instead of “black”. this is kinda racist ad, bros.