With the goals of driving earned media and sales, this campaign was an opportunity to highlight the brand’s new global campaign “Must Be a Jameson”. The tagline, introduced in late 2023, is a callout to the brand’s inclusive, family feel. Anyone can be a Jameson. The goal for St. Patrick’s Day 2024 was to bring this all together: Could we create an experience for new and legacy Jameson drinkers that embodied community and fun while creating touchpoints with the brand that felt like you were truly part of the Jameson family? If we were able to attract consumers into local experiences, we wanted to make sure they left feeling like a “Jameson.” Success was solidifying Jameson’s cultural relevance in the weeks leading into St. Patrick’s Day to ensure the brand is top of mind as consumers plan their festivities and increase sales, especially in our key markets.

We all waited seven years for St. Patrick’s Day to fall on a carefree Saturday and in 2024, it was supposed to. But Leap Year had other plans. So, when we saw the calendar 'feck' with St. Patrick’s Day, we decided to 'feck' with the calendar in return—upending centuries-old traditions by creating a new one and getting the party started the night before thanks to St. Patrick’s Eve (SPE).

Riffing on New Year’s Eve, we put a Jameson twist on the traditions Americans love and recognize. From SPE style with a limited-edition jacket to SPE drinks and party favors distributed to hundreds of bars, we launched a month-long, nationwide countdown that culminated in a Jameson-ified ball drop in New York’s Time Square. As it turned the iconic NYE ball green, Jameson brought thousands of fans together to celebrate the new holiday together, and like only a “Jameson” would.

Our experiential strategy began with an insight that turned consumer frustration that St. Patricks’ Day fell on a Sunday into something positive and uniquely Jameson. This led to creating the first-ever St. Patrick’s Eve giving fans a reason to gather on the Saturday ahead of the official holiday with a first-of-its-kind experience for the “Jameson family” - and that included everyone who partakes.

The campaign was modeled after New Year’s Eve by creating experiences across the country that tapped into the holiday’s spirit, complete with a ball drop in Times Square (timed to midnight in Ireland) and watch parties across the country. If the Irish are known for making their own luck, then Jameson would be known for creating their own holiday and coordinating a multi-city celebration to engage revelers nationwide.

There were three key experiential components: (1) A Times Square Takeover on Saturday, March 16, to ring in St. Patrick’s Day. Consumers registered for a spot at the live ball drop and then directed to sponsored events at nearby bars. The celebration included live entertainment, engaging brand moments (like the J Shop, outfitting fans with Jameson gear to celebrate all weekend), and SPE giveaways. (2) Jameson takeovers at nearby bars where consumers could continue celebrating. These celebrations extended to 350 bars nationally, who received Jameson SPE kits (brand merch, photo ops, and drinks menus) so they could host their own celebrations and live-stream the ball drop. (3) The Friends & Family Watch Party was an invite-only, VIP experience that gave influencer and media guests a premier view of the ball drop. This was hosted by SNL stars Colin Jost and Michael Che with a surprise performance by DJ Pee Wee.

Across the US, 350 bars celebrated St. Patrick's Eve, and over 5,000 people registered for our historic Times Square event. We became the first spirit brand to orchestrate the Times Square ball drop on a day other than New Year’s Eve.

Sales:

- 7.8% increase in week-over-week sales (during the week of St. Patrick’s Day; off-premise sales)

- Increase in key market week-over-week sales including a +33% in Chicago, +10.9% in Las Vegas, +5.6% in New York

- An incremental lift in sales of 4.71% in the high impact OOH and experiential marketing during the SPE campaign, generating $2.4 million in incremental revenue

Media Impressions

- 6.8B total media impressions with 875 unique stories

- Placements included CNN, Variety, Daily Mail, PEOPLE, Bloomberg and others

- 1.5B paid impressions

- 2.2% completion rate in social video; +13% vs historical benchmark

- 1M clicks to the SPE website