While most see St. Patrick’s Day as a chance to dress head to toe in green and reclaim their Irish heritage, brands use it to connect with their audience and even show off their cheeky side.
With only a short lifespan, budgets and activations can vary. However, the one thing that does remain the same, is that everyone’s hoping they’ll experience a little luck of the Irish and strike gold with their creative campaigns.
Read on to find out which brands we think aced it.
Kahlúa’s ‘Schneaky’ one
One of the reasons we love Kahlúa’s activation is because it’s based on insight – something all our campaigns start with here at Influential.
Recent research by the brand showed that 64% of drinkers have felt pressure to order a certain drink to fit in, while 42% also fear judgment for choosing a cocktail over a pint on St. Patrick’s Day.
And so, the Schneaky Espresso Martini glass was created – a hand-blown glass designed to disguise an espresso martini as a pint of stout.
To bring the campaign to life, they created this hilarious promotional video and have the glass itself available to order at select UK and Ireland pubs on the 17th March via a secret code word at the bar. Which you’ll know what it is when you watch the video below!
7up “Up for St. Patrick’s Day”
This Ireland-only campaign plays perfectly on the 7up brand name and colour – a double win!
So, because most of the leg work was done for them, the outcome is a simple, authentic campaign that doesn’t feel like they’re just trying to get in on the St. Patrick’s Day buzz.
With several out of home (OOH) activations and consumers also being in with the chance to experience the “luck of the Irish” and win €700 if they find a special can, the campaign is helping 7up to remain front of mind to anyone looking for something other than a pint of Guinness during the celebrations.
Baileys x Grind “Kiss me, I’m Irish”
Grind are known for their reactive activations, and this one is no different.
Partnering with everyone’s favourite Christmas tipple, Baileys, the seasonal campaign is bringing over 100 free Baileys Irish coffees daily to the good people of London from the 15th-17th March.
All you have to do is whisper, “Kiss me, I’m Irish” to the server for a free one!
“It’s a lovely day” for a Guinness
Of course, no St. Patrick’s Day campaign rundown is complete without a mention of Guinness.
With a pint of Guinness probably being one of the most photographed drinks in the world, they’ve launched an engaging UGC (user generated content) campaign across the US – that might just mean you get featured in their next ad!
Partnering with POV (a disposable camera app), they’re asking people to add their photos to their official Guinness St. Patrick’s Day camera to highlight what a ‘Lovely Day for a Guinness’ (or a Guinness 0.0) really looks like.
Alongside this, they’ve also dug out their John Gilroy “Lovely Day” prints from their archives and breathed new life into them.
As you can see, a good ‘on trend’ campaign still needs to remain true and connected to your brand’s purpose and ethos
If you want to strike gold in a St. Patrick’s Day 2026 campaign, our creative brand agency can help!
To find out more about what we do, you can view our work or get in touch with the team at marketingteam@thisisinfluential.com for a chat.
