Thanks to Guinness, You Can Now Order a Pint of the Clear Stuff

Swapping beer for a glass of water now and then can help you to moderate your drinking. But the trouble is, not everyone feels comfortable ordering water in the pub.

Thank heavens for Guinness and its long-term agency AMV BBDO, then, who have launched a new campaign rebranding bog standard tap water as 'Guinness Clear'. Yes, you read that right. From now on, when you order water, it won’t feel like a cop out - you’re genuinely having a Guinness. It’s just a Guinness that happens to be made with 100% H20, that’s all.

The bizarre stunt - which aims to make drinking water 'an active, positive' choice - is part of the brewer's responsible drinking push for the upcoming Guinness-sponsored Six Nations rugby tournament.

 For a real flavour of authenticity, Guinness Clear is being heavily marketed just like any new beer, with a full integrated campaign, including a glossy new TV spot, a social media campaign (follow via the hashtag #GuinnessClear) and a heavy presence at Home Nations’ stadiums, including branded water fonts and Guinness Clear sampling teams giving water to match-day goers. 

The TVC, which is set to air in GB and Ireland from February 1, has been directed by none other than comedy heavyweight Tom Kuntz and features all the hallmarks of a traditional beer ad, from adoring, slo-mo product shots (we particularly like the perfect 'splosh' of a water droplet breaking the surface) to satisfied drinkers reacting with delight to the amazing taste of tap water.

Former Irish international rugby player Brian O’Driscoll and former English international and World Cup winning rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio helped launch the #GuinnessClear campaign this week, encouraging rugby fans to drink responsibly throughout the Six Nations by opting for Guinness Clear.

“At Guinness, responsible drinking is something we take very seriously,"" says Mark Sandys, global head of beer, Baileys and Smirnoff at Diageo. ""With the launch of Guinness Six Nations, we wanted to ensure we delivered this important message to sports fans in a compelling way and so Guinness Clear was born. We think the light-hearted approach delivered through our Guinness Clear product launch will drive conversation and put responsible drinking to front of mind throughout the Guinness Six Nations and beyond. We want to make sure that ordering water, no matter the context, is an active and positive choice by the millions of fans who will be watching and attending the Guinness Six Nations over the next six weeks.”

Make ours a pint of the clear stuff, then...