Super Cool Guinness Ad

[Era Might]

...that's exactly what I mean. They're targeting a specific audience, and trying to associate their product with a certain lifestyle or idea. 

 

What I'm saying is that for once, a beer company is trying to brand itself with a pretty positive image of masculinity, one that's about loyalty and friendship, and not about sex and fat slobs watching a game. 

 

Definitely their brand is a little classier than other alcohol brands, but I'm just saying don't take it too seriously. Classier brand means more upscale clients (i.e., higher profit margins). Their older "BRILLIANT!" ads were more commercial and I think were focused on Guinness in a bottle...a more down-to-earth advertising strategy for a broader-appeal product (bottled vs. pub-poured).

 

If they could compete for fat slobs watching a game, they would, but that market is cornered by other brands. It's also a foreign brand, so marketing to the "red-blooded American male" probably wouldn't work anyway.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Era Might

[PhuturePriest]

...that's exactly what I mean. They're targeting a specific audience, and trying to associate their product with a certain lifestyle or idea. 

 

What I'm saying is that for once, a beer company is trying to brand itself with a pretty positive image of masculinity, one that's about loyalty and friendship, and not about sex and fat slobs watching a game. 

 

 

Dude, seriously guys? It's pretty darn obvious what message they're sending.   :|

 

What they're doing is intentionally breaking from the typical sexy beer commercial mold. They're saying that their audience is made up of real men, with the moral fiber to go out of their way to help their friend. They're learning to play basketball in wheelchairs so their friend can play basketball with them.  It's got nothing to do with drunk driving. 

 

I don't like beer, but if I ever drink it, I think I'll go with Guinness (It's also mandatory since I'm Irish, anyway). I always get really annoyed and angry when commercials and media in general shows men to just be disgusting slobs, and stuff like this always makes my day.

[arfink]

Era's just upset he doesn't have a Guinness right now.

[Era Might]

lol that stuff looks nasty.

[Ice_nine]

lol getting into a serious discussion over a beer commercial

[Era Might]

lol getting into a serious discussion over a beer commercial

 

Hey if you're going to insult us go drink coors light with the fat slobs, bring me back some nachos.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Era Might

[ardillacid]

lol that stuff looks nasty.

heresy

[Tony]

I always liked this  one

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoPM4RwOCW8

 

it even aired here in the US, where few people know what hurling is.

[Basilisa Marie]

lol that stuff looks nasty.

 

Oh, see, there's your problem, Era doesn't like Guinness. 

 

I just thought it was a cool example of secular media promoting a positive, unconventional message about masculinity. 

[CatholicsAreKewl]

And the music is a real downer too (as someone says in the YouTube comments), which makes me think of drunk driving even more.

 

I had Versace playing in the background while I was watching this.

[Gabriela]

It was quite touching at the point where they all got up and the one guy remained in the chair and you realized what they'd been doing. That was pretty sweet. It was a good idea, IMO.

 

On further reflection, though, the analogy is really disturbing: The choice to handicap yourself in order to put yourself on a par with a loved one reveals your character. Your choice of beer does not. It's just one more example of a company glorifying its product by imputing moral status to it. When I see that, I always cringe at the fact that our moral lives are so bereft that companies can manipulate our need for morality by selling it to us.

 

So, on the surface: touching commercial. Under the surface: moral emptiness filled by consumerism. Not pretty.

 

 

it's like when there's a special showing of a movie or something on TV that cuts out on occasion to say "This movie is brought to you commercial free by ____ company"... there's nothing in the movie that makes you want to buy their product, but you enjoy the movie and you know that company paid for you to be able to enjoy it with limited interruptions, so you remember the brand name.  

 

If the advertisers at a company do their research, then they placed their ad strategically so that something in the movie right before the commercial break did make you want to buy their product, or at least primed you to be more open to their ad. There is butt-tons of research on persuasion processes in advertising, including a butt-ton on subliminal processes, so if those advertisers are doing their jobs, they're manipulating you real good.

[Nihil Obstat]

It was quite touching at the point where they all got up and the one guy remained in the chair and you realized what they'd been doing. That was pretty sweet. It was a good idea, IMO.

 

On further reflection, though, the analogy is really disturbing: The choice to handicap yourself in order to put yourself on a par with a loved one reveals your character. Your choice of beer does not. It's just one more example of a company glorifying its product by imputing moral status to it. When I see that, I always cringe at the fact that our moral lives are so bereft that companies can manipulate our need for morality by selling it to us.

 

So, on the surface: touching commercial. Under the surface: moral emptiness filled by consumerism. Not pretty.

 

 

 

If the advertisers at a company do their research, then they placed their ad strategically so that something in the movie right before the commercial break did make you want to buy their product, or at least primed you to be more open to their ad. There is butt-tons of research on persuasion processes in advertising, including a butt-ton on subliminal processes, so if those advertisers are doing their jobs, they're manipulating you real good.

To take this thread in a different direction, and in response to the bolded.....

 

Rather than imputing moral status to a product, per se, do you think we might make a case that an individual's choice and use of consumer products offers some kind of insight into his moral character, at least in a limited sense?

Iunno. I started reflecting on it,

[Gabriela]

To take this thread in a different direction, and in response to the bolded.....

 

Rather than imputing moral status to a product, per se, do you think we might make a case that an individual's choice and use of consumer products offers some kind of insight into his moral character, at least in a limited sense?

Iunno. I started reflecting on it,

 

Certainly a consumer choice can offer some insight into a person's moral character, if, say, we're talking about the choice to buy local/fairtrade/whatever. But Guinness? It's not like they're claiming to source all their ingredients from farms that pay fair wages to laborers and take the utmost care not to strip the land or harm the environment. They're claiming that if you buy our product, it's a clear sign you're a good friend. Connection...? I mean, I get the connection they're trying to create, of the friendly old Irish pub with all its loyalties and whatnot. I just don't think it's a legitimate connection.

[Nihil Obstat]

Certainly a consumer choice can offer some insight into a person's moral character, if, say, we're talking about the choice to buy local/fairtrade/whatever. But Guinness? It's not like they're claiming to source all their ingredients from farms that pay fair wages to laborers and take the utmost care not to strip the land or harm the environment. They're claiming that if you buy our product, it's a clear sign you're a good friend. Connection...? I mean, I get the connection they're trying to create, of the friendly old Irish pub with all its loyalties and whatnot. I just don't think it's a legitimate connection.

What could lend legitimacy to some connection, and what might make others spurious? 

[Era Might]

To take this thread in a different direction, and in response to the bolded.....

 

Rather than imputing moral status to a product, per se, do you think we might make a case that an individual's choice and use of consumer products offers some kind of insight into his moral character, at least in a limited sense?

Iunno. I started reflecting on it,

 

I think the commercial world and advertising is inherently superficial and cannot possibly contribute anything serious to moral life. It is always manipulative and always has its own purpose. I appreciate the art and skill that goes into it, but I don't think it can ever be take seriously as a cultural or moral stake. And I include "noble" commercialism like buying natural products or supporting companies that create a nice message. I don't think that makes anyone more moral because they drink Guinness or go to Chipotle, as opposed to someone who buys a 40 ounce at the corner store and shops at Dollar General.