The Perfect Guinness Ad (Is Fake)

Most of the day, one ad seemed to be circulating more than any other, at least in the nerdy world of ad-savvy social media.

It was a classic Guinness ad, this time forming a pint glass through the use of a couch and the message "Stay at Home." It was reminiscent of some of the brand's best minimalist works.

But like so many perfect ads, it was fake.

Spec, to be precise, and made with no intention to deceive by an Irish freelance copywriter named Luke O'Reilly to help pass the time while quarantined in West Cork with his parents.

Throughout the day, as his creation made the rounds of Twitter, LinkedIn and Reddit, his credit was almost always overlooked. But I caught up with him via video chat tonight for a wonderful chat about what it was like to create something for which his dream client is being effusively (and inaccurately) praised.

Check out my conversation with the incredibly humble O'Reilly and see why he thinks that these kinds of unexpected sources of creativity might be exactly what we need when facing unprecedented challenges like the many surrounding us today.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

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