Guinness Brewery Of Meteorology Wins JCDecaux Programmatic Campaign Of The Year

JCDecaux has announced that Lion and UM’s campaign Guinness Brewery of Meteorology is the winner of the inaugural Programmatic Campaign of the Year award.

The Guinness Brewery of Meteorology campaign strategy focused on leveraging the connection between the optimal temperature for a Guinness and winter temperatures in Australia. Recognising Australians’ keen interest in the weather, and taking inspiration from the Bureau of Meteorology, Guinness created an entirely new weather platform, “The Brewery of Meteorology” app. This unique app informed Australians on whether it was the perfect time for a pint, creating an omnichannel experience that engaged customers from checking the forecast, to savouring the colder weather moments.

“I loved this campaign. They’re staying true to the cheekiness of the Guinness brand. They’re bringing it to a new format, and they’re also closing it from a performance point of view. You’ve got a cheeky brand, you’ve got new trial, and you’ve got immediate results. What’s not to love there?” said one of the judges and CEO of IAB Australia, Gai Le Roy.

By harnessing the power of programmatic digital Out-of-Home and using dynamically optimised creative, whenever the temperature dropped and reached cold, the city-specific, weather-triggered creative would be displayed, encouraging drinkers to enjoy a glass of the “dark stuff”. To further increase engagement and drive consumption, careful geographic planning directed customers to their nearest pub to claim their free pint of Guinness.

To maximise campaign effectiveness, the strategy emphasised integrating Guinness into the winter season and reaching consumers directly. The updated BOM platform launched with weather forecast-style online videos and social content, declaring it as Guinness season and using a targeted approach through Guinness‘ first-party customer database.

The campaign delivered winning results for increased sales and growth in brand association including a three-point growth in salience and a 17 per cent increase in brand power. Additionally, the campaign led to a 13 per cent increase in consumption year-on-year, and an 18 per cent boost in revenue during key winter months.

“This was a really impressive campaign that showcased a great creative concept, skillfully connecting weather and consumption moments with a strong promotional offer. The customised creative stood out for providing a tangible value exchange through directions to the nearest Guinness pub, creating a delightful customer journey,” said Joe Lunn, head of media APAC, Uber.

“The offer was compelling, providing a complimentary Guinness near the pub with immediate redemption. The allure and value proposition were highly appealing,” said Steve O’Connor, CEO JCDecaux Australia and New Zealand.

“Linking the temperature and making it the brewery of meteorology was clever. It amplified and showcased the capabilities that programmatic presents,” said Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO, Outdoor Media Association.

“This entry really excited me.  I loved the concept of advertising a beer in winter, and this campaign demonstrates how weather targeting can be used in a sexy way to drive exciting results. It was more than just weather, it was point of interest, it was audience, it was well planned and executed, and the results are amazing,”  said Dorota Karc, head of programmatic, WallDecaux, Germany.

The judges also awarded Yahoo and Starcom with a highly commended for Tourism Tasmania’s The Off Season 2023 campaign.

In 2023 Tourism Tasmania successfully boosted winter tourism through a strategic omnichannel campaign, primarily using programmatic digital Out-of-Home and audio channels. Partnering with Yahoo and Starcom, the focus was on transforming the perception of winter and highlighting Tasmania’s unique charm during ‘The Off Season’.

The collaborative effort demonstrated the effectiveness of the campaign, driving both physical visits and online engagement. The use of programmatic digital Out-of-Home strategically implemented in key locations across Australian capital cities, along with time targeting during peak hours, played a vital role in achieving widespread exposure and audience engagement.

The campaign resulted in a remarkable 45 per cent increase in physical visits to Tasmania, with Large Format billboards standing out as the most effective, generating a 140 per cent footfall uplift and a 151 per cent website uplift compared to a non-exposed control audience. Online behaviour was significantly influenced, with a 56 per cent higher likelihood for individuals exposed to the campaign to visit the Tourism Tasmania destination website.