Agency enlivens night with beer commercial

Kilkenny Irish Beer has hit on a novel way of introducing its highly visual new TV campaign to its target audience - tonight the company will erect a giant outdoor screen on the island at the top of Dublin's Grafton Street, to show the 40-second commercial on a continuous loop from 7.30 p.m. until 3 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The commercial was created by British agency HHCL and Partners and features a striking-looking American actor shot in a variety of recognisable New York locations that include Central Park, Times Square and the subway. The total spend on the new campaign is £1.5 million (€1.9 million) and the ad - themed carpe diem - will be broadcast on RTE1, Network 2, TV3, UTV and Channel 4.

According to Ms Nicola Kearney, brand manager for the beer, the new upbeat campaign, with its "seize the day" message, reflects a new direction and mood for Kilkenny, which recently underwent a major image change, including a new logo and livery.

The upbeat youth-oriented ad for Kilkenny is in marked contrast to the new campaign that began earlier last month for Breo, another of Guinness Group Sales' beers. The coolly downbeat Breo ad currently on air is the first in a series of three featuring Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt and is all laid-back talk, whereas the Kilkenny ad is all vivid action and vibrant images.

These differing creative approaches do not reflect the age profile of the two beers, as Kilkenny has the older target market, ranging from 20-35 years old, while Breo is supposed to appeal to a younger age group.