Ireland is f**ked. It’s that simple.
I grew up in Ireland in the ’80s. we used to think that Ireland was f**ked back then. It’s the principal reason i emigrated. there was f**k all to do. So we all got the f**k out.
But now Ireland is biblically f**ked. A plague of bankers and international economists has descended upon my homeland and are about to strip it bare.
Which got me to thinking…what can I do to help my homeland in its hour of need?
And i think I have the answer. Give me the slender sliver of a budget that the Irish tourist board has and i will work for free to create the best motherf**king ads for Irish tourism you have ever seen in your life! You just pay for production costs and expenses.
Here are my qualifications:
1. I grew up in Galway City. Best town in Ireland i think we can all agree. I worked in a bar while in high school and college there. I get the tourist dollar thing.
2. I am in advertising. I created a little ole thing called the Budweiser Wassup! campaign. You may have heard of it. I get the American culture. I get the Irish culture. There’s not many like me.
3. Ireland is in deep trouble. Americans love Ireland. They just do. I can convert that love into much needed foreign cash.
4. I have my own advertising agency in Chicago. We can make anything happen. We have done everything from TV shows to Superbowl spots to beer coasters.
You should know that normally I really don’t have a bias about the products that I work on. I love everything. Everything is good in my mercenary view of the world.
But Irish tourism is one of the very few things I would go out of my way to work on. Mostly because I have a decided advantage here, also because I still love my homeland dammit!
This is about as patriotic as I am ever going to get.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh!
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Have you forwarded this link to the tourist board Vinny? I’m sure they’d be interested. Not sure the Yankee dollar can save Ireland now though…
oh i know it won’t phil. but it’s something positive that can be done. and as long as i’ve lived here i’ve always found the ads for Irish tourism to be bland in the extreme. things can only get better ;-)
Great fucking offer Vinny- and no better man for the job. Let’s see if we can’t get you on the pitchlist.
If ever Ireland needed an Escape Pod, it’s now.
On behalf of the unemigrated, thank you.
thanks eoghan. nothing ventured, nothing gained. and i’d really love to work on it. there aren’t many things i’d go out of my way to work on but irish tourism is definitely one of them. and i know i can do a lot better than what they’ve been doing. it’s a great product.
thank you so much Eoghan
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Vinny,
Hope working on Aer Lingus at CDP qualifies me to help out.
Ciaran
sure does ciaran!
You mean Aer Fungus surely? I remember somebody complaining about the air pressure and the stewardess coming back with boiled sweets. In the ears they went.
Not Aer lingus necessarily john. they just do price ads that frankly aren’t that great deals. ever.
Young Irishcopywriterman in Scotland’s Ad Agency of the year at your service Vinny. Whatever we can do to pull Ireland out of the sorryass pile of shite it’s in.
My CV.
-I’m from Cork. So that’s the West and South covered.
-Worked at the Leith Agency (Famed for its Irn-Bru ads)
-Currently work with Newhaven (Famed for it’s Tennent’s Lager ads)
-Won my first Scottish Award this year in only my second year in the industry.
-Oh, I go home every three months to drink copious amounts of Guinness.
-And I once caddied for an Americano. He asked me did I know “Sean from County Munster” to which I replied “Who doesn’t?”.
Beir bua agus beannacht :)
thanks marcus. if we get it i’ll hit you up
You’ll need a Yank whose family came County Kerry via County Cork. Someone who’s heard the pipes calling even though it’s been 161 years or so since his family walked the auld sod.
Rewrite…
You’ll need a Yank whose family came from County Kerry via County Cork. Someone who’s heard the pipes calling even though it’s been 161 years or so since his family walked the auld sod.
thanks curvin. love to have your help. i remember seeing some great ads for irish tourism in an old art directors annual done by deGarmo advertising in the 1960s. the last good ads for it done in this country IMHO.
Take a look at the SAS ads in the Ally & Gargano book. Lush, evocative art direction by Amil Gargano, staggeringly good writing by Jim Durfee.
yes curvin. i love those ads. more like magazine articles really. and stunning photography. what’s Jim Durfee doing these days?
Not sure what Jim is doing. Been a while since I had a conversation with him.
Vinny,
You have something going here, let’s really make it happen.
For me, and maybe C O’R, Jim Durfee is one of my heroes and
probably one of the most underrated writers ever, and yes the
SAS stuff is great.
And yet, the headline:
“An Irishman will try to sweet talk you, fast talk you, charm you, put you on, pull your leg, tell you a lot of outrageous tales. But you can expect an honest count at the cashier’s cage.”
Which sat on top of a beautifully written, very, long copy ad, is one of the best ads I’ve ever read. (I suppose a certain pre-disposition should be admitted to here!).
And in my copy of the 44th annual of advertising & editorial & art and design of the Art Directors Club of New York it is credited to de Garmo, to
art director William A. Mc Caffery, photographer Elliott Erwitt, and copywriter Rueven Saratou. Who was, where is, Reuven Saratou ? (now that we need him).
That we should – and we could – do as well.
Ciaran
You’ll also be needing a sour-faced, thin-nosed loyalist from the heart of Londonderry to pass on client comments, so you will.
This is compulsory. Else there’ll be trouble.
Dead on, so it is.
Vinny ABú. I do write the fillums* now but I would ditch my retirement socks and pull on my old advertising smarty pants** should you need a sidekick.
* The current effort is a romantic comedy set in the trad music community in Sligo. Many of my jokes have now gone the way of our credit rating.
** I used to freelance. Andgarnered a number of awards in my time. Including a silver D&AD pencil
thanks for the offer johnny. silver d&ad is nothing to sniff at! if i was to do advertising chances are they’d be fillums based on ireland’s biggest attraction: the people.
good for you vinny:-)
I made this back in the day. and if i can help….
x
g
****sniff***** i’m getting all homesick now gai! love to have your help.
It’s time to see the ads.
Irish tourism board or no.
This is the medium that can make it broadscale for free.
Brill idea and initiative. I’m happy to offer my services for no fee on the production side. I was the Irish producer on this one more years ago than I care to count http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-7Syf9gmA. I work freelance as a producer and agency producer so am happy to do either/both.
well thank you dara. we’re amassing quite an army here. we’ll shoot in LA of course. there’s a place an hour north of LA that’s the spit of Donegal ;-)
One problem Vinny. 80% of American’s can’t afford a can of baked beans. I think your campaign should be geared towards Canadian, Russian, and Chinese Tourists.
well we’ll just go for the 20% who can then howie. ireland isn’t a cheap holiday. but it’s unique.
I’m off to Donegal (Buncrana) next August for my sister’s wedding.
Will stop off at my uncles in Clare too if that’s any help.
Ireland. It’s just a few smiles away.
Here’s the ad ‘cept you shoot it in that place north of l.a.
Doh! Here’s the ad ‘cept you shoot it in that place north of l.a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLkmbLoaORU
that is a perfect tourism ad john. i want to be there. shameful secret: have never actually seen easy rider. will now. thanks.