Guinness asks Irish fans to 'not jinx it' ahead of the Rugby World Cup

Developed by AMV BBDO, the new integrated campaign embraces fans' superstitions prior to the tournament kicking off next week

By creative salon

01 September 2023

As fans look forward to an exciting few weeks of rugby, Guinness has launched a new campaign to galvanise the country and show its support to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), the number one ranked male team in the world, crowned Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam Champions.

The new integrated campaign, developed by AMV BBDO, was inspired by a universal truth about being a fan: the feeling that your actions directly affect your team’s performance. It’s particularly true for Ireland fans this year, as they balance the excitement and expectation that comes with being the top ranked side.

Through social listening, Guinness and AMV have identified that Irish fans’ worry that any overconfidence is going to come back to bite them. So, the creative work plays with the natural caution and self-deprecation of Irish fans by reminding, that allowing themselves to say what they could win can in fact cost their teams’ result.

The TV ad that kicks off the campaign was shot in sports-documentary style, with Ireland fans being interviewed about their hopes for the year ahead and their reflections on previous disappointments. With Ronan Keating’s 'When You Say Nothing At All' playing throughout, it begins with a couple in a pub arguing over whether saying ‘Ireland was going to w*n’ cost the team a championship title once. In another one, colleagues in a local cafe persuade themselves that a few games will offer more than enough excitement.

Directed by James Rouse through Biscuit, the film in versions of 30 and 60 seconds will run on TV and social media. As part of the campaign, OOH reminding rugby fans to 'not jinx it' will be placed near pubs nationwide. A series of activations across the country will also highlight past wrongdoings and get everyone supporting the Irish team in the right way this time.

Speaking about the campaign, Alan McAleenan, Brand Director, Guinness Ireland said: “As a long-standing and proud partner of the IRFU, we wanted to launch a campaign that truly relates to Irish rugby fans. All of Ireland will be supporting the team with every fibre, but our campaign urges fans to remember that their actions are as important as the team on the pitch, they need to play their part too, don’t jinx it.”

AMV BBDO creatives Will Brookwell and Louis Prenaud said: “No matter what your sport or who your team is, we’ve all got too carried away and jinxed things - it’s a universal superstition that even the most sceptical of us believe to be true when it comes to sport. Heading into another enormous tournament with their team ranked #1 and previous years heartbreaks fresh in their minds, this insight has never been truer for Ireland fans. GUINNESS too is a huge fan of the national team, so our campaign aims to get ahead of the loose lips and remind everyone to support safely, and to never say that one forbidden thing.”