Our Favourite Irish Ads (That Aren’t From Guinness)

 
 
Our resident Irishman Barry is here to share the best Irish ads of all time. And that’s right – there’s not a drop of Guinness in site! Give these beauties a watch and get inspired for your next video ad campaign.

1. Lidl – Supporting Ladies Gaelic Football

In 2016, Lidl announced a big sponsorship deal with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and came out of the stalls with a gritty ad at the launch.

The partnership was definitely a success as it’s still going strong 8 years later, with Lidl having committed over 10 million euro to the association since the launch.

2. Carlsberg – Irish Tourists

Carlsberg gave Guinness a run for its money in 2008. The beer brand launched an ad about a group of Irish tourists in Rio trying to impress the locals by speaking Irish gibberish.

The ad became incredibly successful and one of the gibberish phrases – “Ciúnas bóthar cailín bainne” (“Quiet road girl milk”) – became a popular saying in Ireland.

3. Fáilte Ireland – Dublin: Take A Deep Breath

In 2014, Ireland’s tourism board did a huge overhaul of the country’s branding and advertising to pull in tourists. It was a massive success.

The year after, they did the same with their tourism campaigns for Dublin, stepping away from the traditional presentation of the Irish capital and taking a more energetic approach.

4. McDonald’s – Johnny Logan Eurosaver

In 2007, McDonalds launched a series of ads featuring people in upsetting situations who would then jump into (two time Eurovision winner) Johnny Logan’s arms.

The ad series won an ‘Award for Excellence’ at the PR awards. Logan became strongly associated with the McDonald’s brand, sporadically appearing in their ads up to 2022.

5. Club Orange – Bits in

Ireland’s favourite fizzy drink maker launched a number of TV ads in 2001. The series steps away from the usual visions of happy young people enjoying the drink. They took a more unusual approach, pulling in famous Irish actor Tom Hickey to answer questions about the drink in a posh British accent.

The ads were genuinely funny while also focusing on the product’s unique selling point. The orange bits.

What’s your favourite Irish ad?

Let us know on LinkedIn!

Article by

Tess O'Bamber

Tess entered the world of marketing as a content manager, focusing on social and blog content. She now has over four years of experience writing on-brand copy for websites, emails, whitepapers and more. Tess has a Master's in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia – she takes a creative approach to copywriting, whatever that looks like for each unique client. You'll still find her working on her first novel at the weekends, between DIY sessions and long walks.