Jameson Irish Whiskey, “Fire”

The latest Jameson spot from TBWA\Chiat\Day (and director Noam Murro) continues the brand’s “Tall Tales” campaign to mythicize its founder, honoring the popular wisdom that fictional legends make for good ads. In an earlier spot, John Jameson miraculously braved the ocean’s depths, and a giant octopus, amid a fierce storm to rescue an overboard barrel of his eponymous Irish whiskey. Here, he’s portrayed as the same foolhardy but ultimately winning folk hero who’ll do anything for his booze—even knock down a dam to save his precious distillery during Dublin’s “great fire of 1789” (there was actually no such thing). With the liquor safe, the people rejoice, no matter that the rest of the city is a smoldering ruin. “All of Ireland agreed: catastrophe averted,” says the wry voiceover. In the end, the tongue-in-cheek allegory delivers a slick message about brand loyalty: Don’t let anything come between you and your Jameson. Now, if John Jameson could only enjoy in moderation. -Gabriel Beltrone