Heineken - The Voyage Commercial, Exclusive Version

Today, Heineken launched their brand new campaign, ‘Voyage’. This is the 5th instalment in the Heineken ‘Legends’ series and is a cross-platform, integrated campaign, which uses broadcast, digital and mobile.

The main campaign element is a newly created tv ad. The ad, set in India, follows the Legend from arriving in a remote Indian outpost to finding himself in all sorts of awkward and bizarre situations when he loses his pet goat.

As well as airing the TV ad, Heineken is going a step further and testing men to see what they are truly made of when taken out of their daily lives and dropped into the great unknown. Welcome to “Dropped”.

‘Dropped’ arrives on Monday, June 3rd 2013, and takes different men from across the world and drops them in remote global locations with nothing but the most basic of supplies and directions. The result is a series of episodic adventures following our intrepid explorers on their legendary travel experience.

Each experience will be in a different location with different challenges and every travel adventure will be tailored towards the character of its main protagonist - forcing them to discover their own limits and conquer their fears. The outcome of ‘Dropped’ adventure is unscripted and the outcome unknown!

Watch the series via the Heineken Dropped YouTube channel and follow each voyage, access documentary-style content and also contribute your own videos to the ‘casting couch’ for the chance of undertaking your own legendary travel adventure.

In the coming weeks, Heineken Ireland will also begin the search to find an Irish explorer - the ‘Irish Dropped’! Details of Heineken’s search for an Irish explorer will be revealed online in the coming weeks.

Conor McIntyre, Heineken Brand Manager - Communications, commented, “With ‘Voyage’, the fifth instalment of our Legends campaign, we want to go further and inspire men to be resourceful and open to the world. We are giving a few lucky people the chance to go beyond the borders of their comfort zone. The Irish are seen as a nation of global explorers who have made themselves at home in their own unique way in some of the most exotic cities and outposts around the world. The trademark wit, charm and ability to make friends wherever we go have become synonymous with the Irish travel experience. We have no doubt that ‘Dropped’ will uncover some legendary explorers who will display their true character on the adventure of a lifetime.”

Ben & Jerry’s 'Join Our Core' Finalists

The Ben & Jerry’s 'Join Our Core' Irish finalists have been announced. Hand-picked from over 430 entries to compete in the final stage of 'Join Our Core 2013', Ben & Jerry’s Europe-wide search for the most socially conscious and sustainably minded entrepreneur, the Irish finalists will have the chance to pitch their business idea to ten of Europe’s top ethical business gurus. The eventual winner will scoop a whopping €10,000 and on-going specialist business mentoring from Ashoka, the leading global network of social entrepreneurs.

The first finalist, CoderDojo, is an Irish led global movement teaching young people how to code, develop websites, apps, games and more, in a social, collaborative learning environment. MyMind, the second finalist, is a self-referral model of mental health that provides psychological and psychotherapy services to people seeking mental health support.

Europe’s finest social entrepreneurs will gather in London next month for the final stage of Join Our Core 2013, hoping to impress an expert panel that includes Ben & Jerry’s co-founder, Jerry Greenfield and Director of Ashoka Ireland, Paul O’Hara.

The 18 lucky finalists, which include Irish enterprises CoderDojo and MyMind, will have the chance to pitch their business idea to ten of Europe’s top ethical business gurus. The eventual winners each scoop a whopping €10,000 and on-going specialist business mentoring from Ashoka, the leading global network of social entrepreneurs.

CoderDojo, is an Irish led global movement teaching young people how to code, develop websites, apps, games and more, in a social, collaborative learning environment and MyMind, is a self-referral model of mental health that provides psychological and psychotherapy services to people seeking mental health support.

And there’s more! The winners will also be in the enviable position of having their business logo featured on an exclusive Ben & Jerry’s tub to be launched in 2014, as well as bagging a trip to Ben & Jerry’s home turf of Vermont, USA to celebrate its 35th anniversary this year!

Returning bigger and chunkier for its second year, Join Our Core is inspired by Ben & Jerry’s dream to find young business moo-vers that share its philosophy of people being as important as profit, which has seen the 2013 competition expanded from five to nine European countries – the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Austria and Switzerland.

When Ben and I set-up the company in 1978, we believed giving back to the community was as important as making great tasting ice-cream,” commented Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. We’re humbled by the number and standard of entries we’ve seen this year, and can’t wait to meet and hear more from this year’s finalists.”

Ashoka Ireland Director Paul O’Hara commented, "We are truly excited about the incredibly strong applications coming in from all nine European countries. It is clear that technology is being utilised more than ever as a driving force for social good. We're seeing a rise in the demand for sustainability and resource sharing activated by technology."

For further information about the Join Our Core 2013 competition, the prizes on offer and all the 18 finalists, please visit www.joinourcore.com.

Heineken Unveils Social Tracker

Heineken Social Tracker

The Heineken Cup weekend is finally upon us and the excitement kicked off in stunning style last night with the launch of Heineken's Social Tracker in the heart of Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, at the Get in the Game Clubhouse at Ballsbridge Hotel.

The Social Tracker is a large (5 x 7.5m) projection structure that captures the Twitter chatter around the Heineken Cup. Fans can tweet at #GETINTHEGAME and see their tweets brought to life in stunning animations and visuals. Fans can also step up to the set and take a virtual conversion which, if successful, will send out a tweet of support to their selected team. Supporters can interact in real time by kicking ‘virtual conversions’ and show their support for the two finalists, ASM Clermont Auvergne and RC Toulon via #GETINTHEGAME.

Over 200,000 individual tweets have been measured since the quarter-finals with a surge of social conversation expected in the 48 hours leading up to the final. Fan conversations via the hashtag #GETINTHEGAME and tweet conversation in support of both finalists will be monitored live all weekend and this mind boggling array of tweets and data will be converted into a multi-coloured and multi-dimensional animated display on the 5m x 5m structure.

Social Tracker is just one of Heineken's many Get in the Game activities, which has seen fans engage with Heineken Cup rugby online, on their mobiles and in pubs and venues around the country in the build-up to the biggest sporting event to be held in Ireland this year. To date over 85,000 people have engaged and played Get in the Game online via www.heineken.ie/game.

The projections start from 9.15pm each night at the home of the Heineken Get in the Game Clubhouse at Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin 4 and will be displayed after daylight hours until the post-Heineken Cup Final celebrations on Saturday 18th May. Heineken’s Get in the Game Clubhouse is the best place to be this weekend to enjoy the excitement of both the Amlin and Heineken Cup finals. For live updates check out #GETINTHEGAME or www.facebook.com/heineken

'Live In The City' Gigs Announced for Bushmills Live

David C. Clements & Farriers Revealed as ‘Live in the City’ Line Up

Two of Ireland’s most acclaimed emerging artists David C. Clements and Farriers have today been announced to play two special hand-crafted gigs as part of the build-up to the global whiskey and music festival - BUSHMILLS LIVE (June 19th-20th).

Taking place on Thursday 6th June in Whelan’s Dublin and Thursday 13th June in White’s Tavern, Belfast – ‘Bushmills Live in the City’ is a welcome gesture to local music fans looking to soak up some of the whiskey and music festival’s atmosphere closer to home.

With only 500 tickets available globally for BUSHMILLS LIVE, which will see both iconic and emerging artists share the stage for intimate gigs in age-old buildings at the historic Old Bushmills Distillery, Bushmills Live in the City is a special opportunity for music fans to get a taste of what this unique music festival has to offer.

Following an electric performance at ‘Bushmills Live in the City 2012’ in Belfast, David C. Clements is set to make a return with band in tow. Since last year he has shared stages with Ed Sheeran, co-written with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and performed exclusive tracks for E4 - all the while taking it in his stride and continuing to write some of the strongest soulful songs to emerge from Ireland in years.

Joining the lineup are Farriers, a Belfast-based five piece bringing their sound of Irish Traditional and American folk music to the fore. The last twelve months have proven eventful for the alt-folk quintet with the release of album ‘Years Ago In Our Backyard’ garnering critical acclaim from local and national press, followed by a high-profile UK& Ireland tour with Glass Records’ ever-talented Foy Vance.

As part of the bill, Bushmills has also been searching for a local band to perform at these intimate hand-crafted gigs with full information on how to participate on the Bushmills Facebook page (facebook.com/bushmills1608).

Commenting on the announcement David C. Clements said: “Having played at Live in the City last year, I am really looking forward to making a comeback for 2013. These gigs have a great atmosphere and on the night it feels like you’re hanging out with friends and making some great music together. “It’s also great that Bushmills is giving local bands the opportunity to join the bill. This is a fantastic platform for up-coming acts to get noticed.”

Jennifer Kiernan, Brand Manager for Bushmills said: “Bushmills Live in the City is a great opportunity for us to share what Bushmills Live is all about. Tickets are limited to the festival itself so ‘Live in the City’ is a great way for consumers to get a taste of the action!” “This year we’re also on the search for a local band to join the bill and play in both Dublin and Belfast. We want to find artists who craft and perform their own music, just as the Master Distillers of BUSHMILLS™ Irish Whiskey have perfected the art of handcrafting whiskey over the past few centuries.”

Bushmills Live in the City will take place on Thursday 6th June in Whelan’s Dublin and Thursday 13th June in White’s Tavern, Belfast. Bushmills Live will take place on June 19th & 20th in Old Bushmills Distillery in Antrim with updates on all events available at facebook.com/bushmills1608.

Freerunning Takes to the High Seas

Freerunning takes to the high seas with Thomson Platinum Cruises

For the first time ever, freerunning has taken to the high seas as world renowned Parkour professionals are captured on film leaping over stairwells, jumping from balconies and even scaling the side of the ship.

The short film was created by record breaking freerunning team, 3RUN who’ve worked on Hollywood blockbusters like Casino Royale and Harry Potter and use awe inspiring stunts to give customers a unique look at the makeover on the Thomson Dream.

Filmed against the stunning backdrop of the Caribbean, the freerunners pushed their bodies to the limit as they were captured flipping over the pool, vaulting tables in the restaurants and even recreating the iconic ship’s flag 20 feet above deck.

The film ends with a glimpse of the 3RUN crew relaxing with cocktails on a nearby Caribbean beach, having left the newly renovated ship and swam ashore.

Fraser Ellacott, Managing Director of Thomson Cruises says: “To celebrate the launch of the two newly renovated ships to sea and with 64,000 people expected to travel on the new Platinum Cruise ships this summer, we wanted to do something completely different to showcase the renovations. Partnering with 3RUN gave us the opportunity to highlight the multi-million pound makeovers in a truly entertaining way. We’ve moved towards a more contemporary look and feel onboard both the Thomson Dream and Celebration with refurbished cabins, revamped restaurants and bars and a luxurious spa and wanted to show it off in an equally modern way.”

Chase Armitage, CEO of 3RUN says: “The new look Thomson Dream provided the ideal free running playground for us to create some never done before stunts that show off both the ship and the skills of our team. In true action film style we’ve tried to create content that will entertain every generation.”

Heineken's New TV Commercial

Heineken - The Kick

Heineken’s brand new TV ad launches tonight. It’s another great rugby themed ad which was filmed in the south of France (fitting, given both the HCup finalists are both French!) by Irish agency Rothco.

Today Heineken Ireland unveils a brand new TV commercial that is sure to excite rugby fans in the lead up to Europe’s most prestigious rugby competition, the Heineken Cup final. The all-French final culminates at Aviva Stadium, Dublin on 18th May and to whet fans’ appetites for the clash, Heineken, the tournament’s title sponsor, has come up with another engaging mini-movie to feast your eyes on. ‘The Kick’ is the next installment of a number of successful ads that continue Heineken’s theme of stepping up to the challenge and reaping the rewards.

‘The Kick’, a fun and lighthearted tale documents one man’s epic journey through an iconic French town v chasing the unpredictable bounce of a precious rugby ball. From a scrum with a rogue flock of sheep to a quick-reacting truck driver and a solid lineout lift in the ever-twisting and turning chase, the protagonist steps up to each challenge with imagination and reaps the final reward of a cold Heineken in the closing scene.

The ad was created by independent Irish creative agency Rothco and was shot over four days in the picturesque settings of three towns, St Paul de Vence, Frejus and Valbonne, in the south of France. The main cast is mostly made up of locals from the three towns; this gifted the TV commercial with an authenticity that Heineken seeks at every occasion. Renowned for his visual and emotive productions, Director, Steve Cope (Rattling Stick) worked seamlessly alongside Oscar- nominated Director of Photography, Barry Ackroyd (The Hurtlocker), to create the mini-movie which will air from this evening May 3rd. The music is ‘Sing Sing Sing’ by Benny Goodman.

Bushmills Live 2013

Bushmills Live 2013 ft Of Monsters and Men

Bushmills Live has announced the second wave of artists and the big news is that Jake Bugg has joined the line up with, Sons and Lovers, who have just finished touring the UK with Ellie Goulding and US artists, One Republic; Willy Mason and Bear’s Den, who have both toured heavily with Mumford & Sons earlier this year; and friends of the festival and successful Northern Irish singer songwriters, Iain Archer and Foy Vance.

Breakthrough act of the year, British singer-songwriter Jake Bugg has today been added to the bill for Bushmills Live 2013, alongside headliners Of Monsters and Men. Troubadour Jake Bugg will perform for an audience of just 500 at Bushmills Live in June, ahead of taking to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this summer.

Jake will be in good company at the festival, playing alongside Sons and Lovers, who have just finished touring the UK with Ellie Goulding and US artists, One Republic; Willy Mason and Bear’s Den, who have both toured heavily with Mumford & Sons earlier this year; and friends of the festival and successful Northern Irish singer songwriters, Iain Archer and Foy Vance.

Iain and Foy are set to make a triumphant return to Bushmills Live following electric performances in 2012. Since playing at the festival last year Foy has toured Europe and the US with Ed Sheeran and Iain has worked with headliner Jake Bugg to co-write and produce tracks for his number one debut album, earning them an Ivor Novello Award nomination*.

With just days to go until the draw for tickets closes, Iain reveals he is looking forward to playing at the festival in the Old Bushmills Distillery: “Bushmills Live is a unique experience: the line-up could rival some of the biggest festivals but with a much smaller crowd in a really cool setting. It’s really like a festival of friends hanging out and making some great music together. I’m really looking forward to seeing Jake playing live - although we’ve written and produced together, we’ve never actually been on the same live bill so this will be a first.”

“With last year’s festival being such a smash, it was always going to be a challenge to improve on the line up - that said, I think we’ve done it. One of the goals with the festival is to offer an event that is special for fans and performers alike. With the festival circuit in the UK growing annually, it’s a real challenge to create a day that stands out. We hope that Bushmills Live will be a festival that everyone looks forward to,” commented Graham Brown, festival curator. He continued: “I’m really pleased to be part of such an event that hosts internationally-renowned acts alongside critically-acclaimed emerging artists in such a unique setting. If you haven’t entered the draw for tickets yet enter now - don’t miss out!”

Tickets cannot be bought for the 500 person event which takes place on 19th and 20th June 2013 in the grounds of the historic Old Bushmills Distillery on Ireland’s stunning North Coast. Instead these can be won by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608* entry closes at 23:59 on 5th May 2013.

*To win tickets to Bushmills Live or to find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry closes at 23:59GMT 5th May 2013. Winners will be notified by 9th May. Terms and conditions apply.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Three Unboxing Of The NEW Samsung Galaxy S4

This weekend, Three Ireland have released the Samsung Galaxy S4. As a preview to this much anticipated piece of technology, Three filmed the above ‘unboxing’ video of the handset to showcase its features and whet the appetite of fans. Three have also announced that the handset will retail for €99 on their Classic Flex Max plan.

About the Samsung Galaxy S4:
· Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 operating system, 5 inch screen.
· Lighter and thinner than its older brother the SIII, but still packs a battery that’s almost 25% larger
· More energy efficient processor and a new improved Super AMOLED display that requires less power
· Dual Camera take pictures with both cameras at the same time
· Dual Video Call allows user to show video chat companions what both views
· S Translator instantly translates voice or text, enabling foreign language phonecalls while travelling
· Smart Pause lets the user control the device with their eyeballs. Galaxy S 4 will know to pause the clip when no one is looking
· Smart Scroll recognizes where the user is looking and how they’re tilting the phone, and scrolls pages accordingly
· Air Gestures - scroll through items without even touching the screen, just have to wave a hand over the screen
· Air View - preview items by hovering your finger over items, such as emails, on the screen
· S Voice Drive - keep safe on the road by automatically converting text to voice when the phone connects to a car via Bluetooth
· S Health, along with the various sensors built into the Galaxy S 4, turns this smartphone into a fitness tracker
· EA Games have provided 16 optimized games on the Google Play store, including The Sims, Simpsons; Tapped Out and Need For Speed: Most Wanted

AIB Unveils Dedicated Digital Banking Store

Launch of The Lab AIB at Dundrum Town Centre

AIB have opened Ireland’s first digital banking store, The Lab (Learn about banking). Opened in Dundrum Town Centre and launched by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Mr Pat Rabbitte, The Lab is an innovative learning environment designed to help customers to maximise their use of existing and emerging technologies in banking services. Through dedicated and specially trained staff, The Lab showcases the best in class digital banking. The Lab is open to the public seven days a week during the centre’s opening hours.

AIB’s Director of Personal, Business and Corporate Banking, Bernard Byrne said "The Lab is a live research centre where customers will have one-on-one support and advice when learning about, and becoming familiar with, new banking technologies. Our mobile and online banking offerings are market-leading, yet almost half our customers have yet to embrace digital banking. Based in Dundrum Town Centre which has an annual footfall of 19 million people, The Lab will be accessible to a huge consumer base to demonstrate the range of technologies that allow their best use of banking services. It will give current - and potential- customers an insight into the benefits of marrying technology with banking."

The Lab provides an environment where customers can experiment with, and be guided through, self-service banking platforms in four zones:
(a) A Product Browsing Zone with an interactive learning wall where visitors can browse through products and services and video booths where visitors can video call financial advisors seven days a week for advice on home mortgages and other products.
(b) The SME area with dedicated meeting rooms for customer and bank meetings and an area where customers can learn more about digitising their business beyond banking.
(c) The Innovation Zone where customers will have first access to trialing innovations in mobile and online banking.
(d) A Self Service Banking Zone with mobile and online demonstration installations. A social media wall will also sit in this area with live streams from Facebook and Twitter.

Importantly, from a customer and commercial standpoint a majority of day to day transactions banking services will also be available in the Lab.

Over the coming months, The Lab will be used by AIB to unveil the next phase of banking innovations including Person to Person payments, a Personal Financial Management tool, a new SME online proposition and alerting functionality to allow customers more control of their finances.

SKY Launches €10 Million Marketing Campaign

Sky Ireland - Sky Broadband Has Arrived

This week Sky Ireland launched their biggest ever marketing campaign to promote their new Broadband and Telephone offerings. The €10m campaign combines TV, press, radio, outdoor and digital. The above ad forms the centrepiece of the campaign.

Featuring Pierce Brosnan, the 60-second ad sees the famous Irishman returning home to Ireland to the apparent delight of the public. However, it is soon revealed that the cause of their excitement is in fact the arrival of Sky Broadband. In a series of everyday scenes showing Brosnan on Dublin’s quays, walking along a town main street, and enjoying a drink in a pub, the ad shows that not even a global celebrity can eclipse the arrival of Sky Broadband.

Launching the new Sky Broadband campaign, Mark Anderson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Sky Ireland said, "The inspiration for this campaign came directly from our customers, many of whom have been waiting for us to introduce broadband for ages. Our research showed that people in Ireland are excited about the prospect of getting their TV, calls and broadband from Sky in one bundle and the ad’s creative idea taps into that sense of anticipation."

Pierce Brosnan comments, "It’s great to be involved in the launch campaign for Sky Broadband in Ireland. I always love returning home whether for work or on holiday and this time was no different. The charm and tongue in cheek humour of the Sky ad really appealed to me and shooting in Dublin was a lot of fun. Hopefully, viewers will like it as much as I enjoyed making it."

The campaign was developed by ad agency WCRS who won the launch project following a competitive pitch. It was shot by director Taika Waititi (Flight of the Conchords, Boy) and Oscar & BAFTA nominated cinematographer Danny Cohen (Les Miserables, The King’s Speech).

MiWadi Brings Storytime to Life with MiBooks

MiWadi MiBook TV Ad

MiWadi, Ireland’s No. 1 Dilute brand, has just launched their latest digital initiative, ‘MiBook’. This on-pack promotion gives children the chance to star in their own story. By simply collecting three unique codes from the reverse of labels and logging onto www.miwadi.ie, consumers can redeem a free personalised children’s story book from a choice of three.

Speaking today at the launch of MiWadi MiBook, Dee Cunniam, Senior Brands & Activation Manager for MiWadi said; ““MiWadi is the brand at the heart of a child’s imagination and our MiBook activation will fuel imaginations nationwide through our three fantastic story titles, My Trip to the Zoo, My Big Adventure and My Birthday Party. Getting children to read is essential for building up grammar and spelling skills, so creating a FREE personalised book, where the children themselves star alongside their family and friends, encourages more reading.”

Sky Research Reveals Our Daily Digital Diet

The following research into consumer trends was conducted by Sky Ireland. It looks at when and how our digital consumption peaks on a daily basis.

Breakfast: Commuter Snacks
The research showed that during their commute:
· 81.8% of people use their tablet or smartphone
· 49.4% will check their social media sites up to three times
· 51% read the news online
· 46.5% play games
· 44.2% catch up on emails


Digital indigestion
However, patchy Wi-Fi and mobile connections were cited as major frustrations, interrupting commuters’ connectivity. To compensate, 55.5% download books or music in advance of their commute and now the recently launched Sky Go Extra app lets Sky customers download the latest blockbuster films from Sky Movies and TV content from channels such as Sky 1 and Sky Atlantic to watch when and where they want, without the need for a Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connection.


Dining Digitally At home
With recent Comreg figures showing that broadband penetration rates stand at over 65%, people still see the laptop as the main digital dinner plate. However, with ownership of tablets and smartphones set to reach 2.38 million by the end of 2013, we are set to consume online content in a more a la carte way.


Sky seeing strong uptake of its Apps
According to Sky Ireland’s own download figures, this digital diet trend has seen total iOS downloads of its most popular Apps reach over 1.2 million in Ireland, including:
· Sky Go App - 295,782 downloads
· Sky News App - 318,259 downloads
· Sky Sports News App - 144,798 downloads
· Sky+ App - 177,326 downloads


“We are seeing a massive change in our digital diet,” says Mark Anderson, Director of Sales & Marketing, Sky Ireland. “Our research and download figures combined show that Irish users are very discerning when it comes to consuming digital content on the move. More and more often users are using home broadband to download content to mobile devices for later consumption – it’s the digital equivalent to a home-packed lunch! With unlimited broadband now available nationwide from Sky, and increases in multi-device usage by consumers, we expect that our digital diet will feature more media meshing as time goes on.”

Guinness Marks 25 Years of the Revolutionary 'Widget'

2.75 billion widgets have been produced by Guinness since 1988

-----Press Release-----

Today, Monday 25th March, Guinness officially marked the 25th anniversary of a true icon of design and innovation - the Guinness ‘widget’. This ingenious invention replicated the draught technology used in pubs and revolutionised the beer industry, enabling Guinness fans across the globe to enjoy a perfect pint in the comfort of their own home.

The widget we are now familiar with is the second generation ‘floating widget’. This small plastic device sits at the bottom of the can until it is opened. Once opened, the floating widget jets Nitrogen through the beer, creating a longer–lasting creamy head on canned Guinness.

Speaking today, Guinness Master, Brewer Fergal Murray "The task was to put Draught Guinness in cans and make it every bit as good as Guinness in pubs. The introduction of the widget meant that consumers could now enjoy the perfect pint both in the pub and at home. It was long journey but every step was a masterful experiment and the end result is considered one of the major innovations in the evolution of the beer industry.”

Since its introduction in 1988, almost every major brewer has replicated this innovative piece of technology to produce their own creamy beers and lagers.

Alan Forage, the widget’s inventor “It’s very satisfying to invent something that revitalised both Guinness and the UK beer industry. After trying their own modifications, they (competitors) have come back to ours, because ours is the best.” (taken from the published book – A Widget’s Tale)


The science
The liquid nitrogen evaporates during the canning process, pressurising the can and forcing some beer into the small plastic device and compressing the nitrogen inside.

The widget floats on the surface of the beer, with a hole just slightly below the surface of the beer. When the can is opened, the pressure inside is immediately reduced, but the sphere acts like a blown up balloon that is suddenly released, and the contents jet out through the tiny hole and into the beer.

As the beer and gas rush through the tiny hole, this agitation causes the N2/C02 that is dissolved in the beer to form tiny bubbles that rise to the surface of the beer and form the head.


Award winning
The widget has been awarded Queen’s Award for Technology Advancement and has been named the *greatest invention of the last 40 years putting it ahead of mobile phones!

Sky Movies App for Android

Sky Movies app to launch on Android smartphones and tablets

Sky has announced that it is extending its Movies companion app to Android handsets. The app, which is available to download for free, offers a one-stop destination with trailers, synopses and cast list for hundreds of movies currently showing on Sky Movies and Sky Store. The app also offers information on movies currently showing at the cinema. In addition, if you are a Sky Movies Pack customer, you can enjoy movies within the app at no extra cost.

The app also doubles as a home planner by allowing users to record movies to their Sky+ HD box while on the move.

Ian Lewis, Director of Sky Movies said: “A must-have for film fans, the Sky Movies app helps customers explore the fantastic range of movies available for them to enjoy at home or on the move as part of their subscription. The app complements the UK & Ireland’s most popular film subscription service and forms part of our continued commitment to offer customers ways to discover and enjoy more of the year’s biggest blockbusters than any online film subscription service.”

For more information visit www.skymovies.com. The Sky Movies app is free to download from Google Play.

Bushmills Live to Return to The Old Bushmill Distillery in 2013

Bushmills announces the return of Bushmills Live, to be headlined by Of Monsters And Men

The Old Bushmills Distillery today announced that it will once again throw open its doors to play host to ‘Bushmills Live’ - a unique two-day festival celebrating handcrafted whiskey and music. Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event, ‘Bushmills Live 2013’ will take place on Northern Ireland’s stunning North Coast on 19th and 20th June 2013.

To celebrate the launch, Bushmills commissioned Wishbone Dagger to make a 3D art installation that depicts the Bushmills Live poster using materials inspired by the handcrafted whiskey and music at the heart of the festival. The master craftsmen - who cemented their friendship when creating the stage set for a hugely popular American television epic that was filmed in Belfast – used 254 casks, 250 bottle tops, 30 bottles of whiskey, five metres of AMP wiring and four guitars to handcraft the 10ft by 16ft installation artwork.

The Icelandic five-piece acclaimed indie folk band, Of Monsters and Men, are currently enjoying enormous worldwide success having just won the 2013 European Border Breakers Award, which honours the best new European music acts. Of Monsters and Man have been dubbed the ‘must see act’ of the year and this summer marks the beginning of a busy festival schedule for the group which will include a performance at one of the biggest international festivals, Coachella in California - making their intimate appearance at Bushmills Live unlike any other that fans will experience this year.

Only 500 tickets are available globally for Bushmills Live, and these ‘money can’t buy tickets’ will not go on general release. Instead, music and whiskey fans can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page. Entries to the draw will open this Sunday, on St Patrick’s Day at 16:08 GMT.

Of Monsters and Men, said: “Playing a show in such a unique location, around the centuries-old warehouses and whiskey barrels, to such an intimate audience, is an experience we are very excited about. It’s going to make our first gig in Northern Ireland a memorable one, and not just for us, for the fans too, we hope!"

Of Monsters and Men are in good company. They join a list of fellow indie rockers such as the iconic Snow Patrol, singer-songwriters Foy Vance and Iain Archer, Elijah Wood, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Marcus Foster, The Staves, General Fiasco and David C Clements who all played electrifying performances at Bushmills Live last year.

Speaking at the launch of Bushmills Live 2013 event Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery, Helen Mulholland, promised fans that they can expect to enjoy “more great music between great friends at this year’s event.”

“Whiskey and music have always gone well together”, added Helen Mulholland. “And at Bushmills Live we like to make both by hand, bringing this fusion of handcrafted whiskey and handcrafted music together against the backdrop of our beautiful distillery with performances from artists who are friends - which makes for a cracking atmosphere!”

“It goes without saying that we’re looking forward to extending a warm Bushmills welcome to our new friends, Of Monsters and Men, and to emerging artists who we’re proud to support by creating a music platform that allows fans to discover new and upcoming talent.

“I can’t wait to reveal the rest of the line up in the coming weeks. We’re of course just as excited to open our doors to whiskey and music fans the world over who want to attend Bushmills Live, so get your entry in and good luck!”

New Guinness Fermentation and Maturation Vessels

If you've been out in Dun Laoghaire in the last week or two, you'll probably have noticed the huge cylinders sitting on the ship docked right in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

These giant cylinders are part of the shipment of 27 new fermentation and maturation vessels being installed at St James’s Gate as part of its €153 million expansion and redevelopment.

The new vessels will produce Guinness and other beers which will be shipped to the worldwide market on a daily basis. The Guinness vessels will be able to brew 300,000 pints every two hours using 26 tonnes of malt and barley.

The largest of these vessels, standing almost 10 stories high at almost 85.5 feet tall, is capable of holding just under 1,000,000 pints of Guinness. The largest vessel weighs 28 tonnes while empty and over 500 tonnes when filled with Guinness.

The new brew house will secure the long term future of Guinness brewing for the next generation in Ireland. Malt and barley are sourced locally. Once completed, the St. James’s Gate brewery will consume c.125,000 tonnes of barley per annum, which equates to almost 10% of the national crop. Construction of the project started in early summer 2012 and the new brew house will start producing beer in June 2013.

Hermitage Green To Play St. Patrick's Day at Guinness Storehouse

Festival line-up to rival no other with Silent Disco, Electric Céilí and Four Men & a Dog

The Guinness Storehouse have announced that they will host their annual St. Patrick’s Festival from the 15th-17th March for the eighth year running with an, as always, awesome line-up of music, craic and food.

During the course of the festival weekend, there will be a host of eclectic entertainment to suit every taste including a headline style gig from Irish folk rock group Hermitage Green, a silent disco for any dance music loving fans, a lively set by last year’s festival success story Four Men and a Dog, complimentary Guinness & food tastings, and ‘So you think you can Irish dance’ Céilí.

Widely renowned to be Ireland’s answer to Mumford and Sons, Hermitage Green’s star is on the rise having sold out their last gig in September 2012, at which they launched their first official EP, The Gathering, which held its position at No.2 in the Irish download chart for many weeks.

Throughout the festival weekend, visitors can savour a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar overlooking the panoramic views of the city, learn how to pour their own pint of the black stuff in the Guinness Academy and enjoy all Six Nations rugby matches on the big screen over the weekend. The Guinness Storehouse will also be running the VIP Paddy promotion once again this year, welcoming everybody by the first name of Patrick, and variants of the name for free into the attraction on St. Patrick’s Day.

Paul Carty, Managing Director at the Guinness Storehouse commented: "We’re delighted to once again be providing a superb choice of entertainment during our St. Patrick’s Festival. We hope to entertain the masses with our diverse and colourful line-up while also offering excellent value for money. All entertainment during the festival weekend is included in the usual admission price."

Paul added, "Celebrating St Patrick’s at the Home of Guinness has, over the years, started to become a bit of a tradition for Irish people. Each year we see familiar faces who return again and again to savour the unique atmosphere that is the Guinness Storehouse on St. Patrick’s Day. Last year we saw an influx of Irish visits on March 17th, up 60% on the previous year, and we’re looking forward to offering a warm welcome to local visitors again this year."

Irish Market the First to Air New Ad Themed Around the 1960 Box Office Smash ‘Spartacus’

Innocent have just launched their latest campaign, Innocent Goodness Juicer, over on Facebook. It's powered when people use the hashtag #innocentgoodness or enter a goodness message into the tab. Fans can then see their orange juiced live on the app webcam.

In addition to the straight forward funky awesomeness, Innocent are also giving away lots of great prizes all week for the best innocent goodness messages!

Bud Light is Back and Lighter Than Ever

New light beer now has 82 calories

Bud Light has announces its comeback to Ireland with a re-launch across the nation. The No. 1 selling light beer has been reformulated for the Irish market and now contains only 82 calories per 330ml bottle. Designed to appeal to men and women who are searching for an alternative beer that offers fewer calories, Bud Light now has an even smoother and refresher taste.

The new Bud Light is brewed to 3.8% ABV and is golden in colour with delicate aromas of malt and hops. Subtle fruity and citrus taste notes, all giving the smooth and refreshing taste. It is brewed using only the finest ingredients of barley malt, rice, hops, yeast and water.

Bud Light will be available in selected bars, off licenses and supermarkets nationwide in both 330ml bottles and 500ml can format.

Carlsberg launches new TV ad ‘Spartacus’

Irish Market the First to Air New Ad Themed Around the 1960 Box Office Smash ‘Spartacus’

Yesterday, Carlsberg unveiled their latest TV ad with an Irish market exclusive. The ad, called 'Spartacus', follows Carlsberg's 'That Calls for a Carlsberg' creative / brand route and sees a modern interpretation of the 1960's film of the same name. Set in an ultra-modern skyscraper office with hundreds of people working in an extremely regimented and drone-like environment, the ad is the story of one workers mini rebellion and the revolt that then ensues.

The film starts when the overbearing company boss enters the room in a fit of rage. He shows a YouTube video depicting him as a dancing monkey, created by the user, Spartacus. He demands to find the culprit of the prank. Reluctantly, the hero ‘Spartacus’ stands up and identifies himself with a bold 'I am Spartacus'. In quick succession his fellow colleagues decide to support their friend and join him one by one claiming to be Spartacus as well. Within in seconds the entire room is standing up in force to take the heat.

‘Spartacus’ ends with the team of workmates heading to the bar for a well-deserved pint of Carlsberg – underlining the brand’s positioning, That calls for a Carlsberg.

Speaking about the new ad, Julie Allman, Senior Brand Manager at Carlsberg, said: “We’re delighted with our new TV ad ‘Spartacus’ which will hopefully excite the Carlsberg drinker and reiterate solidarity amongst friends, something which is embedded in the brand ethos. To coincide with the launch we will be running a themed competition on the Carlsberg Ireland Facebook page, starting on 18th February, to give away Expedia holiday vouchers worth €1,500 and €500 spending money.”

The ad was created by London-based creative agency Fold7, in partnership with Carlsberg's International Brand Marketing Team. The ad will be rolled out across Carlsberg's global markets, starting in Ireland. It will be aired across traditional media and digital channels and will be complemented by a suite of activations, based on the same theme of standing up for your mates, The ad will be supported by substantial media spend in the Irish market.

Hailo To Be The Taxi Driver To The Silver Screen

Hailo to distribute €100,000 worth of taxi vouchers in partnership with Jameson Dublin International Film Festival

Hailo has teamed up with The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (JDIFF) to giveaway 20,000 vouchers during this year’s festival. That's over €100,000 worth of taxi vouchers to be distributed throughout the festival’s venues; Cineworld, the Savoy, Screen, Irish Film Institute and Light House Cinema in Smithfield. Hailo will issue the vouchers for €5 off your first Hailo taxi throughout the eleven day festival.

Rob Cumiskey, Marketing Communications Manager, Hailo Ireland commented, “We’re delighted to partner with The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival as it will transport cinema goers from the television screen to the cinema screen. The line-up this year is stellar and showcases the talent and scope of Irish and international cinema. We feel the vouchers will encourage the Irish audience to try something new—the most essential app on the market and the best entertainment in film.”

You can pick the vouchers up in any of the participating JDIFF cinemas (Cineworld, the Savoy, Screen, Irish Film Institute and Light House Cinema in Smithfield.) To get €5 off your first taxi, just download the Hailo app from The App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android), register an account with a credit or debit card, enter the promo code on your card and choose ‘Pay With Card’ for your next taxi.

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is Ireland’s premier feature film festival taking place each year in February. This year it boasts acting legends Tim Roth, Gabriel Byrne, Frank Langella and Danny DeVito, directing heavyweights Costa-Gavras and Joss Whedon, and screenwriting big hitters Robert Towne and Tobias Lindholm all coming to town. And that’s on top of 130 feature films, shorts, master classes and special events happening over 11 days from February 14th to February 24th.

Founded by three taxi drivers and three internet entrepreneurs, Hailo has raised over $50M from the best investors anywhere, including Union Square Ventures, Accel Partners, Wellington Partners, Atomico Ventures and Sir Richard Branson. Hailo is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Simply search on "Hailo".

Guinness Storehouse Welcomes Jasmine Guinness Home to Launch Ambassador Programme for ‘The Gathering’

Jasmine Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse

Yesterday, Jasmine Guinness launched the Guinness Storehouse Ambassador Programme as part of the year of ‘The Gathering’. The programme invites Irish residents to apply online for 1 of 50,000 exclusive ambassador cards entitling them to complimentary admission to the Guinness Storehouse throughout 2013. Friends and family who come home for ‘The Gathering’ will also receive a 10% discount off admission.

Paul Carty, Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse commented that “during the year of ‘The Gathering’, Irish people are encouraged to invite family and friends ‘home’ to Ireland. We want to reward and encourage those who get behind this special year for Irish tourism by opening our doors to them, free of charge, throughout the year. The Guinness Storehouse is the ‘Home’ of Guinness, and in celebration of ‘The Gathering’, our 50,000 ambassadors are welcome to make our home theirs”.

Welcoming the announcement, Jim Miley, Project Director of the Gathering Ireland 2013 said “we’re delighted to see that the Guinness Storehouse is rolling out the green carpet for visitors to Ireland throughout 2013, the year of the Gathering. The concept of the Gathering is based on a personal invitation from the people of Ireland to our friends, family and connections overseas. The Guinness Storehouse ambassador programme will facilitate those of us hosting gatherings to offer our guests a unique experience at one of Ireland’s most popular attractions”.

Throughout the year, active ambassadors will be entered into a competition to win their own Gathering party for 100 of their friends in the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse with food, refreshments and entertainment provided. Card holders will also be offered a range of benefits during 2013 including exclusive competitions to win tickets to Guinness events, Guinness merchandise and a range of special Guinness Storehouse experiences to be won throughout the year.

Bitbuzz Freedom a success in Dublin

Shane Deasy, Managing Director, Bitbuzz

Six months since the introduction of the complimentary Bitbuzz Freedom Wi-Fi service to Grafton Street, Bitbuzz is observing excellent user figures. Bitbuzz Freedom provides a fully managed complimentary Wi-Fi service to the public and is so far available on Grafton St, parts of Henry Street, Temple Bar and the Hibernian Way.

On Grafton Street alone over 1,500 people are using the service and downloading over 10G of data each month; Bitbuzz even recorded Wi-Fi users on Grafton St on Christmas Day 2012. The service is particularly useful for international tourists who use the service to check maps, research transport services, confirm bookings and research local shops, restaurants and tourist attractions on their smartphones, without paying roaming charges. Bitbuzz Freedom allows Wi-Fi access at full broadband speeds and does not have a speed cap.

Bitbuzz Freedom expanded its service to the Hibernian Way, Temple Bar and parts of Henry St just before Christmas and is now in the process of being deployed on further parts of Henry St.

Shane Deasy, Managing Director, Bitbuzz, said: “We are pleased with the take-up of the Bitbuzz Freedom service so far. Our aim last year was to introduce complimentary Wi-Fi to both Dublin City residents and tourists visiting the Capital and we believe the initiative so far has been a success. We look forward to rolling-out the service in other key cities across the country this year.”

Bitbuzz Freedom is an expansion of the Bitbuzz service and offers the same quality of service the Wi-Fi company currently provides in hotels and coffee shops. Designed for smartphone users, Bitbuzz Freedom provides multiple complimentary 20 minute Wi-Fi sessions. Bitbuzz uses multi-band wireless point-to-point backhaul technology to provide a much better performance than traditional "mesh" solutions. This enables users to move around and continue surfing the internet as they walk down the street.

The Bitbuzz Freedom initiative is 100% funded by Bitbuzz and the company has received no financial support or assistance from the local authority or any state agency.

SoundCloud Sound Banner

Today, Monday January 28th, SoundCloud will be advertising the platform (for the first time) in online outlets such as The Guardian, selected domains from Vice Network UK and US, and ad network placements ranging from MTV.com, to Cosmopolitan, to BBC Music with the message: "Hear the World's Sounds."

What makes the new advertising campaign interesting is that SoundCloud developed - internally - a sound banner. A sound banner is a radical new format developed by SoundCloud's Creative Technologist to broaden brand awareness by maximizing the power of audio, SoundCloud's signature waveform, and the visualization of sound. Audio is at the heart of the message, is in alignment with the company's "sound first" outlook, supplementing the visuals in the banners.

The sound banner uses an advanced audio-enabled HTML5 specification and CSS3 animations (vs. Flash). The infrastructure of the sound banner uses the same SoundCloud SDK as our widgets, allowing them to easily communicate with and pull sounds from the wider SoundCloud platform.

iD Staffing Comes to Ireland

Guinness launches second installment of 'Made of More'.

iD Staffing, part of leading UK experiential marketing agency iD Experiential, is bringing its unique staffing auditions to Ireland. The agency is hoping to attract the cream of promotional staffing talent north and south of the border to join its 5,000-strong team supplying staff to brands across most industry sectors.

The auditions will launch in Dublin on January 28th before moving to Belfast on January 30th. Over the past 12 months, iD Experiential’s work in the Irish market has seen substantial growth. Successful candidates will be working across the agency’s client portfolio including perfume, coffee and electrical brands.

As part of the iD Staffing training scheme staff will be given the opportunity to develop their key skills via a bespoke training course led by Alex Kramer (QVC Presenter). Once sufficiently trained in retail selling techniques, brand ambassadors will be invited to work for established global brands, demonstrating and selling in leading department stores. The programme further reinforces the agency’s position as the home of the industry’s highest calibre of demonstration and promotional staff.

Additionally, iD Staffing will be introducing marketing scholarships to all brand ambassadors, engaging field staff and encouraging personal development.

To reward brand ambassadors, iD Staffing has established the Golden iDOLS scheme. Each month for a year, two of the top brand ambassadors will be rewarded with a £250 Virgin Experience. Furthermore, one lucky brand ambassador will be awarded the ‘biggest achiever of the year’ accolade and receive a £1,000 Virgin Experience voucher to reward their success.

Gemma Murton, Auditions Manager, iD Staffing, said: “I am incredibly excited to be bringing our staffing auditions to Ireland for the first time. 2012 was an incredibly busy year in mainland UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic. It doesn’t look as though that will be slowing down anytime soon. Here at iD we are always on the lookout for fresh new talent to join our agency books and I can’t wait to see what Ireland has in store for us!”

Auditions:
Monday 28th Jan - University College Dublin
Tuesday 29th Jan - The Button Factory Dublin 9.30am
Wednesday 30th Jan – Belfast - The Black Box 9.30am & 5pm

Over 80% of Irish Commuters have Limited or No Internet Connection on Journeys

New Sky Go Extra service allows customers to download movies and entertainment to watch offline at any time

New research commissioned by Sky reveals that almost 83% of Irish commuters have little or no access to an internet connection on their journey to work. When commuting respondents tend to “check already downloaded emails” (44.2%), “play games on their phone” (46.5%) and read (51%). Irish commuters’ biggest frustrations are “cramped conditions” (48.4%) and “not making the most of your time when you could be doing something else” (22.6%).

The research coincides with the launch of Sky Go Extra, a new subscription service which will help Sky customers make the most of their “forced downtime” when commuting. Available to all Sky TV homes for just €6 per month, the new service delivers even more flexibility to customers by allowing them to download movies and TV shows in line with their Sky TV subscription to their smartphone, tablet, laptop or MacBook via Wi-Fi to watch offline later. So whether in a car, on a flight, on the train, bus or Luas, Sky customers will be able to enjoy a wide range of content literally anywhere, not just where they can find a reliable Wi-Fi or high-speed mobile connection.

According to Sky’s research access to technology on the move is important in people’s day-to-day lives with more than three-quarters of respondents owning a tablet or smartphone and 81.8% of those using it on their commute. Over 70% of commuters feel frustrated when they don’t have an internet connection on their journey, and will often resort to mundane activities such as “watching other commuters” (18.4%), or sleeping (24.2%), with over a quarter of all commuters claim to be bored on their journey. The research found that two thirds of commuters take the bus.

There is a difference between the sexes in average travelling times to work with 18% of males commuting more than 2 hours a day compared to females (10%). Males (32.2%) get more frustrated when the Wi-Fi drops in and out of signal compared to females (21.1%) and tend to watch more downloaded movies on their tablet (16.1%) than females (6.2%).

The launch of the new service builds on the enormous success of Sky Go, which offers Sky customers access to live and on demand programmes and films from up to 43 channels on a wide range of internet-connected devices, and now attracts more than 3 million unique users in the UK and Ireland each quarter.

In addition to being able to download content, Sky Go Extra customers are also able to register for Sky Go on up to four, rather than two, internet-connected devices, giving Sky households even more flexibility over when and where they enjoy the service.

Sky Go Extra is the first mobile TV subscription service in the UK and Ireland to offer Hollywood movies to download and watch offline. With a choice of hundreds of titles exclusive to Sky Movies available to download at any one time, Sky Go Extra customers who subscribe to the Sky Movies pack will be able to download blockbuster releases around six months after they have ended their run in cinemas. Once downloaded, customers can store the films on their portable devices for up to 30 days.

Blockbusters such as Avengers Assemble, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows and Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists will all be available for download through the service, alongside the entire James Bond film catalogue, containing all twenty-two official Bond films. All titles are available exclusively to Sky Movies subscribers and are not available on any other subscription movies service or TV channel for at least a year after they first appear on Sky Movies.

Sky Go Extra customers will also be able to download the latest shows from channels including Sky Atlantic, Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Arts, as well as partner channels such as Nickelodeon and Disney. This includes the best of the US, such as Girls and The Following (Sky Atlantic), as well as Sky’s own home-grown hits such as Stella, An Idiot Abroad and Trollied (Sky 1). Customers with a 64 GB iPad will be able to store in excess of 400 half-hour shows and more than 80 movies.

Mark Anderson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Sky Ireland, comments: “Building on the ever-growing popularity of Sky Go, Sky Go Extra is the only mobile TV subscription service in the UK & Ireland which means customers can download the latest Hollywood movies to take with them while they are on the move, alongside a great choice of TV from Sky. The research shows that commuters are frequently frustrated with a lack of things to do in their ‘forced downtime’ so Sky Go Extra gives the perfect solution for the boring journeys to and from work. Together with our comprehensive TV On Demand service and our range of award-winning apps, we continue to deliver helpful and clever ways for Sky households to enjoy even more flexibility over when, where and how they enjoy Sky.”

During 2012, millions of Sky customers have used Sky Go to watch movies on demand, with Bad Teacher, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Captain America: The First Avenger the three most popular movies on Sky Go last year. Entertainment series on demand have also proven popular on Sky Go, with more than 2.5 million views of the second series of An Idiot Abroad and 1.1 million views of the latest season of Game of Thrones.

Sky Go Extra is the latest in a series of recent developments from Sky that help customers take full control of their TV viewing. This includes Sky’s comprehensive TV On Demand service giving TV viewers with a Sky+HD box and a broadband connection even greater flexibility and control over how they watch their favourite shows, at no extra monthly cost. Sky also offers its customers a wide range of award-winning apps at no extra cost, including the popular Sky+ app, which can even be used as a remote control for the Sky+HD box.

To sign up to Sky Go Extra, all customers need to do is visit http://www.sky.com/ireland/offers/sky-go-extra. Once they’ve done this, the next time they enter the Sky Go app they will be able to download programmes and register two more devices. To provide even more flexibility, Sky Go customers can cancel the service at any time, subject to giving 31 days’ notice. Sky Go customers will also be able to sign up for a two-month free trial of Sky Go Extra until the end of March.

Guinness Launches New Ad with Clock that Controls Time

Guinness launches second installment of 'Made of More'.

On Friday (18th January), Guinness launched the second installment of its ‘Made of More’ Marketing campaign with a second TV ad that sees a magic clock being able to fast forward and rewind time. The new ad ‘Clock’ was made available for fans to preview live on www.Guinness.com from noon on Friday before it hit TV. The TV premiere of the ad will be 24th January (Ireland and the UK).

‘Clock’ follows on in the celebration of the Guinness attitude shared by the famous stout and its drinkers – that you get more out of life by putting more in. 'Clock' is set in the Czech Republic in the 1890s and tells the story of a town’s clock that doesn’t settle for the ordinary; the clock starts to control time to enhance the townspeople’s days; either by accelerating time to make a task go faster or reversing time to avoid an unfortunate event and pausing time to allow a precious moment to last longer.

Nick Britton, Guinness Marketing Manager at Diageo, said: “Guinness has a history of iconic advertising and we are really excited about the new advert ‘Clock’ and about giving people the chance to preview ‘Clock’ live online from 12pm on Friday 17th January before it is aired on TV. The extraordinary clock in this advert is Made of More and has the ability to enhance peoples’ lives; we expect the clock to strike a chord with Guinness drinkers who are also Made of More and do not settle for the ordinary and who love the distinctive look and taste of Guinness and our iconic advertising.”

‘Made of More’ is the biggest Guinness Marketing campaign to date and kicked off in October 2012 with an advert entitled ‘Cloud’. The new advert ‘Clock’ has been created by advertising agency AMV BBDO together with renowned Director Peter Thwaites and continues to reinforce the Guinness attitude of never settling for the ordinary via the attitude ‘Made of More’.

The TV advert was created by AMV BBDO, who also created the first advert ‘Cloud’, and featured a total of 162 actors (4 featured actors, 8 walk on actors and 150 extras that made up the town people and the army). The ad was filmed in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic, a city which is best known for its historic architecture. Peter Thwaites previously directed AT&T ‘Birthday’, Martini ‘Luck is an attitude’ and Barclaycard ‘Waterslide’. Thwaites has also won the Directors Guild of America's prestigious Best Commercial Director prize for 2008.

Guinness Storehouse: Ireland's No.1 International Visitor Attraction

Guinness Storehouse celebrates a record breaking year as Ireland's No.1 international visitor attraction receiving 1,087,209 visitors in 2012.

This week, the Guinness Storehouse announced that 2012 was a record breaking year for the number of visitors that it catered to. In 2012, 1,087,209 guests passed through their doors, smashing the previously held record of 1,038,910 in 2008. This represents a 6% increase on 2011 visitor numbers and sees the popular visitor attraction retaining its position as Ireland’s number 1 international visitor attraction.

The Guinness Storehouse is also celebrating its status as one of the largest brand visitor attractions in the world having welcomed visitors from over 25 different countries. However, it wasn't just your ordinary Joe, Franc or Mario who visited the Storehouse in 2012. The attraction was also enjoyed by high profile guests such as the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Conan O’Brien, both of whom recorded segments for their respective US TV shows as well as actor Kellan Lutz (Twilight), musician Example and Fun Loving Criminals.

Paul Carty, Managing Director of Guinness Storehouse commented, “2012 was a very exciting and busy year for us at the ‘Home of Guinness’. Not only did we welcome record-breaking visitors through our doors, including some high profile guests and media, we also unveiled a number of innovative and engaging new experiences as part of our three year €10m investment plan. Over the past number of years, Irish tourism has been hit by the global economic recession. However, it’s heartening to see the numbers increase and with the spotlight on Ireland this year for The Gathering, I believe we can look forward to another successful year in 2013.”

Alex Connolly, Head of Communications with Fáilte Ireland commended the Guinness Storehouse on their performance, adding “along with festivals and events, attractions like the Guinness Storehouse are an integral part of the exciting mixture of things for visitors to see and do in Ireland. Fáilte Ireland is putting its full weight behind its Gathering initiative in 2013 and that should ensure even more visitors this year to places like the Storehouse and to attractions all around the country”.

93% of all visitors to the Guinness Storehouse are from overseas. Visitors from the USA, GB, Rest of Europe, Italy and Germany were the top 5 ranking nationalities in 2012 with USA +12%, Italy +15% and Germany +14% compared to 2011. The busiest month of the year was August with 121,182 visitors, making it the busiest month on record at the Storehouse.

Earlier this year, the first phase of the €10million investment in the popular attraction was unveiled with the opening of the new ‘Global’ 4th Floor, which houses a range of interactive exhibits that tell the story of how Guinness is enjoyed and celebrated around the world. This investment continues through the next two years. In 2013, the Guinness Storehouse will develop a new Guinness Taste Experience, an interactive room telling the Arthur Guinness Story and also invest in a new look Flagship Retail Store.