Bushmills depicts ‘real Ireland’ in new ad

Proximo Spirits-owned Bushmills has launched a new campaign in the US for its Red Bush Irish whiskey targeted at “the next generation of whiskey drinkers”.

Bourbon cask-matured Bushmills Red Bush was launched in the US market in March 2017 to draw new consumers to the category.

According to Nielsen figures, Red Bush is one of the fastest-growing new Irish whiskeys on the market, growing 96% in volume over the past year.

The campaign, called Red Set Go, portrays a “fresh, young, real version of Ireland” through a group of Belfast locals as they enjoy a “lively night out” from one destination to another.

The 60-second spot is set in the city’s alleyways, underground raves, tunnels and cobblestone streets.

Created by Vice Media’s agency Virtue, the advert includes the song Louder by Kid Karate as its backdrop.

The campaign is targeted at “the next generation of whiskey drinkers” who want “real experiences and honest brands”.

Jeffrey Schiller, brand director of Bushmills Irish whiskey, said: “For so long, Irish whiskey has been about tall tales and green plastic hats on St Patrick’s Day, so ‘Irish-ness’ has almost become corrupted.

“We want to show America the real Ireland, and what better Irish whiskey than Bushmills – Ireland’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery – to show the way.”

Red Set Go will be distributed digitally, socially and on TV in the US from mid-January 2019. As part of the campaign, Red Bush will launch a live music series this summer.

This year, Bushmills will invest more than US$77 million to double production capacity over the next five years and meet the “increasing demand” for Bushmills. It will also capitalise on the “continued growth of single malt and premium blended Irish whiskeys in the US and beyond”.

Bushmills recently received planning permission to build 29 additional maturation warehouses as part of a £30m (US$36.5m) development “to support its long-term growth plans”.

Check out the new Red Set Go campaign video below.