Guinness was good for Barack Obama in Moneygall – and great for the Diageo company that owns the world famous Dublin brewery.
Marketing experts estimate that the photograph of President Obama downing a pint of plain in Ollie Hayes’s bar is worth over $210 million to Guinness.
Some marketeers have even suggested Guinness could cancel its advertising spend for the rest of the year on the back of Obama’s decision to drink his pint of the black stuff – unlike Queen Elizabeth and British Prime Minister David Cameron on their visit the previous week.
Just to boost the Guinness image even further, President Obama described it as ‘delicious’ after he sank a pint and his wife enjoyed a glass of Ireland’s favorite beer.
Dublin Chamber of Commerce has estimated the publicity generated by the Queen and Obama's visits could be worth $210 million.
Diageo’s Ireland MD John Kennedy said: “It is a real honor that President Obama chose to savor a pint of Guinness as part of his journey back to Irish roots.
“This truly marks an occasion that will be remembered by people all over the world for generations to come.”
Guinness sent master brewer Fergal Murray down to Offaly from their St James’s Gate plant in Dublin to ensure he enjoyed the perfect pint.
“We have been waiting in hope for this very day, and I can say that it is without doubt one of the proudest days of my life,” said publican Ollie Hayes.
“It’s not every day that the US president drops by our bar for a pint of Guinness. It really is a remarkable day for Moneygall.”
President Obama first tasted Guinness when he stopped off in Shannon airport on his way to Afghanistan shortly after his inauguration.
On Monday, he sampled Irish Guinness again – after waiting for it to settle properly - and declared: “They’re keeping all the best stuff here.”
Photos of the US President enjoying his pint were sent out across the worldwide web within seconds of his lips touching the glass.
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