Behavioural communications agency HeyHuman is launching the first pan-African Guinness innovation campaign to support Guinness Smooth, a new variant of the famous Irish stout.

The campaign will run across five markets and is designed to address the perception of Guinness and recruit younger and female consumers into the stout category.

Campaign strategy

HeyHuman was involved in developing the brand and campaign strategy, positioning this smooth and refreshing stout as the tipple of choice for the ‘catch up with friends’ moment.

The agency developed the brand world to launch the multi-channel drive, which spans TV, OOH, and in-bar sampling.

The TV campaign focuses on three friends who go out to catch up in the early evening. They find themselves allured by a silky spectacle that effortlessly moves across the city.

Different styles

The silk leads to a rooftop bar to reveal a selection of Guinness Smooth bottles, which the friends enjoy together.

The soundtrack to the ad is “New Best Thing” from KOYOTIE.

“Guinness is the most distinctive beer brand in the African market, known for its quality and its taste”, Neil Davidson, managing director at HeyHuman said. “As a result it is perfectly placed to introduce different styles of stout.

“We have worked closely with the Diageo team to develop a campaign which reflects the smooth and refreshing nature of Guinness Smooth and positions it as the perfect choice for social occasions among the young and aspirational.”

Pranay Chandra, Guinness Africa marketing manager added: “The Guinness brand comes with hundreds of years of heritage, so developing new variants – and new stories – is something we don’t take lightly.

“HeyHuman, with its great track record in helping us develop the Guinness brand in Africa, has produced a bold vision for Guinness Smooth and we look forward to seeing how the product performs in the market.”

Guinness Smooth is a new expression of Guinness developed by the Guinness master brewers. The company said that local brewing teams in Africa worked closely with the international brewers in Dublin, the home of Guinness, to deliver an exciting and stand out beer that is perfect for casual social occasions.