Paddy's Day, a marketing coup?!
No other country’s National Day is celebrated so widely and
with such enthusiasm and vigour but how did it all start?
Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, is reputed to have
brought Christianity to Ireland around the 5th century. The humble shamrock became Ireland’s national
emblem because Patrick is believed to have used a sprig of shamrock to
illustrate the concept of the Holy Trinity; God the Father, God the Son and God
the holy spirit.
What does it actually mean today? Thought it has religious
roots, nowadays it's really just a celebration of all things Irish.
They say there are more Irish in New York than in Ireland
itself and it's not hard to believe when just last year, according to the Irish
Independent, 250 Irish citizens per week emigrated to find work abroad. It's no wonder the tradition of a parade of
commercial floats and pipe bands through the streets of Dublin has been
upstaged by the New York version where it takes between five and six hours to
pass down fifth avenue.
Naturally it's a great marketing opportunity and in
celebration of the day, monuments, buildings, and even rivers around the world
are floodlit green. Niagara Falls flows green, Sydney Opera House turns green,
as do the pyramids in Egypt, the leaning Tower of Pisa, The Eiffel Tower in
Paris, and so on.
Probably our favourite advert that encapsulates the idea of
drowning the shamrock is the Guinness commercial from two years ago. Classic.
If Coca-Cola own Christmas, St. Paddy's Day is definitely the premise of
Guinness.
Enjoy: Guinness Commercial
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