Saturday, January 22, 2011

Lyons Gold Blend 'Rich Talk'


Anyone reading my blog should remember the two previous Lyons Tea campaigns that I've written about. Well I'm delighted to say that the latest in the series of Master Teablender ads is right on the ball, and continues this great campaign.

The latest advertising campaign reveals that a ‘richer talk’ added to the tea is what gives Lyons Gold Blend its richer, full bodied taste. The new campaign launched on television screens this week bringing to life those richer, more colourful conversations, where what begins as a casual chat, delivers more than expected.

The campaign has been developed by Rothco with this 30 second instalment directed by JJ Keith, produced by H2 Films and post-produced by Windmill Lane Studios. The campaign also comprises of one radio execution, and outdoor advertising on 48-sheet and 6-sheets, which will roll out next Monday (31st January 2011).

Speaking of the new advertising campaign, Liz Finlay, Marketing Manager, Lyons Tea said, “Irish people come from a long line of storytellers, poets and authors – talking is one of the things we do best. Lyons Tea is all about talk and the fuller flavour of our Gold Blend enhances this talk, making it richer, more colourful and leading to the slightly exaggerated tales we all know and love. We’re delighted with our new TV advertisement and we’ll be supporting the new campaign with some really exciting BTL and PR activity over the coming months.”

Ad Outline
The TV advertisement opens on the magical Lyons tea factory and the Master Blender and his young apprentice. The apprentice quizzes the Master Blender on why Lyons Gold Blend is so special, who replies, “It’s richer. Richer taste.” We see the rows of different boxes each with a different type of Gold Blend talk and the Master Blender continues, “So we put in richer talk… which leads to…. Richer STORIES.” The two then enter the Blending Room where we see the Master Blender adding the richer talk to the tea, creating Lyons Gold Blend.


The ad then cuts to a family home with Dad, Mum and their 3 year old boy sitting on the couch. Mum and Dad are enjoying a cup of Lyons Gold Blend and Dad is recounting the age-old fairytale ‘there was an old woman who lived in a shoe’ to his son. Dad begins the tale, takes a sip of his Lyons Gold Blend and then continues with a somewhat embellished version of the story, “which if her taste was anything like your mother’s...it wouldn’t have been cheap….still at least she only had one shoe…not 50 pairs. The voiceover then reveals ‘A richer taste for richer talk’.

Visit the Lyons Tea Facebook page for more Lyons info, or check out the ad here...




About Lyons Tea
  • Lyons Tea employs expert master blenders and tasters to select the best blends and combination of some of the finest teas from Kenya, Assam from India and Ceylon from Sri Lanka to produce the highest quality tea. Lyons Tea is available from leading supermarkets and retailers nationwide.
  • Lyons is Ireland’s number one tea brand with 42.8% market share***; Lyons is an iconic Irish brand with more than 100 years of tradition in Ireland, having started business in Dublin in 1902 near Christ Church Cathedral. It is now owned by Unilever Ireland.
  • Lyons Tea is Ireland’s favourite tea. The Lyons Tea range includes Lyons Gold Blend, Lyons Original Blend, Lyons Gold Blend Reserve, Lyons Kenya Blend, and Lyons Decaffeinated Tea. Lyons Green Tea is available in original, with Lemon and with Mint. For further information on Lyons Tea visit www.lyonstea.ie
  • Lyons tea is currently working with the Rainforest Alliance - independent experts in sustainability and by 2012 all our tea will only come from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.
  • For more information visit www.lyonstea.ie

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Maltesers The Great Indoors


Maltesers have just launched a new campaign - celebrate the great indoors. Through a multi-channel startegy Maltesers want to help their fans through the January blues by staying in and enjoying everything the great indoors has to offer. The campaign has hundreds of 'Great Indoors' packs to be won.

To be in with a chance of winning the prizes enter either by texting MALTESERS to 51500, through the Maltesers Facebook Page or by tuning in to the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM every morning from Monday 24th until Friday 28th January.

The prizes include a fantastic Rock Band Starter Kit including game, guitar, drum kit and mic (Rock band starter kit prizes available online only) or “Great Indoors” packs. The packs are a one stop kit for your perfect night in including a blanket, slippers, a DVD and, of course, some Maltesers.

Of course it's not just a matter of staying in, sometimes you need a reason to avoid having to go out. For that Maltesers have even created an “excuse generator” right on their Facebook Page, to help you come up with hilarious reasons why you must stay in!



Monday, January 17, 2011

ESB Meter Reading App


The ESB have just launched a meter reading app for both iPhone and Android. The free app, which is available from today, is the first energy provider app for both iPhone and Android Smartphones and the first app developed by an Irish utility for electricity meter reading submissions.

The app allows customers to submit their electricity meter reading using their phone, effectively making estimated bills a thing of the past and giving them more control over their bills. The app is also capable of managing multiple properties and provides a Useful Contacts section with all the ESB emergency contact numbers at their fingertips.

I for one absolutely love to see utilities embracing technology in this, but also doing so in a way that is genuinely beneficial to their customers. I can think of so many times, especially living in apartments, that your meter reading gets estimated and you wind up hitting a huge bill the following month. I can't imagine any ESB customers who own an iPhone or Android and not downloading this! Get to it...

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Haiti: One Year On


It's hard to imagine that the devastation suffered by Haiti was over a year ago. Of course I say 'was' over a year ago but the truth is that the last year has been anything but trouble free as the country tries to rebuild itself. A good friend of mine works for Concern and spoke to me recently about what they're doing in Haiti. From a digital perspective I thought it was really interesting that it’s the first time that an Irish International charity has done anything of note on Facebook so I thought it might be of interest to you folk.

To mark the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti Concern ran an awareness campaign within Facebook. Concern are the first Irish charity to harness a Facebook homepage takeover, which is driving to a custom tab on their profile. The tab acts as the landing page for visitors that have not previously ‘liked’ Concern and outlines the key areas that Concern and ECHO have been working on. In addition, within the tab they have embedded a campaign specific video that is streamed from their YouTube channel, an interactive Google map that details what has been achieved in each location Concern is working in and twitter feeds from @Concern and staff that are in the field at the moment.

You may also like to take a look at this post from The Boston Globe. The images are absolutely incredible.

This is the Concern 'Haiti One Year On' video:

Monday, January 10, 2011

UpStart – Promoting The Importance of Creativity in Ireland



So what is all this about?

UpStart is a non-profit arts collective which aims to put creativity at the centre of public consciousness during the Irish General Election Campaign in 2011. The whole initiative is about reinterpreting the spaces commonly used for displaying election campaign posters in Dublin City. The objectives of UpStart is to encourage a debate on the role of the arts in this state. To do this they're asking artists to submit work for placement around the city to highlight the importance of creativity and ingenuity when society is in need of direction and solutions, and to emphasise the value of the arts to public life.

Submissions for the project are being sought from the full range of artistic disciplines and the hope is that over 500 submissions will be received from writers and visual artists, photographers, painters and graphic designers. These works will be duplicated and 1,000 pieces will be printed as election size posters and erected throughout Dublin city. They are also accepting works from musicians and film makers which will be hosted and exhibited through their website which will be launched on the day of the electoral poster campaign.

They believe that the future development of the country requires a healthy cultivation of the Arts and want all creative types to get involved with the project to spread the word as much as possible. To do this they made the above animated video to explain what they’re all about. As you'll have already noticed, Stephen Rea kindly did the voice over for them.

UpStart comprises artists and writers from Ireland and abroad and are non-aligned to any political party.

So why not favourite the video, share it to your blog or Facebook page, and remember to mention UpStart to other folk.