Kahlúa Takes a Shot at Guinness in St. Patrick's Day Campaign

Sure, green beer or a Guinness are typical St. Patrick’s Day drinks, but Kahlúa hopes to shake things up this weekend with its Irish espresso martini. This stirring creation swaps vodka for Jameson Irish whiskey, following brand research showing that 30 percent of consumers feel obligated to order a beer on St. Patrick’s Day, even when it’s not what they want.

Starting today, Kahlúa is offering consumers an Irish espresso martini for free. Fans can enter online for a chance to score a deposit in Venmo to cover the beverage.

Promotions include a :30 from Wieden+Kennedy London that takes place in a pub on St. Patrick’s Day. A patron requests his usual fare—and as it’s poured, one would assume it’s a Guinness. But the band stops playing and regulars stop drinking to eye the man as he sips a “Black, Creamy Espresso Martini,” as the ad informs us near the end.

“In November when we launched the ‘Global Stir Up’ campaign with Salma Hayek Pinault, we aimed to challenge the category in a given occasion by inspiring consumers to uplift the mundane and switch from the status-quo option, in that case wine, to something that they really want to drink,” says Craig van Niekerk, global VP of marketing for Kahlúa. “This is indeed Kahlúa’s first-ever global campaign offering a bold way for people to stir up the beer-centric holiday with an Espresso Martini.”

OOH ads continue with digs at Guinness. They show espresso martinis presented in mini pints, making so they resemble tiny Guinness pours (but the coffee beans area dead giveaway.)

The campaign will run in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland.

“Filming took place in London and Ireland with the Oscar-nominated director behind Derry Girls, Michael Lennox, to ensure authenticity. Our Irish star duo, Tadgh and Derry Fleming, had the whole cast up jigging at several points during filming,” Freddy Taylor and Philippa Beaumont, creative directors at Wieden+Kennedy London, tell Muse. “Look closely and you’ll be able to spot the worst ever poured pint of stout being consumed by an influencer famous for his critiques of stouts. We also made the cast dress like stouts!”

Slainté… or Salud, everyone!