SWEETER THAN HONEY, STRONGER THAN STEAM
Created in Collaboration with Tadhg Gorman
Jameson’s history has been interwoven with the country and culture of Ireland since the 18th century. Liquid amber and smooth to drink, the magic of Jameson has always been held in high regard, and continues to mark our special occasions and important discussions. Many things connect our country's history to its present, there are ties all around us, to those who came before us. But one significant tie - one golden tie - is our revere of Jameson, and the poetic history it holds worldwide. The connection is not merely the ‘drinking culture’ our country has inherited, but rather, the occasions and experiences our drinks share with us. We dance, sing, cry, laugh, and tell stories together while sharing a drink. One of those drinks has been Jameson since its creation, and will be Jameson in the future.
Chosen Soundtrack: The Humours of Whiskey, performed by Hozier
*Animation images from 'Song of the Sea', animated by Cartoon Saloon*
FIRST SEQUENCE
An elderly man, and his two adult children (one boy, one girl), enter a traditional Irish pub, by the coast, on a stormy, grey night.
SFX: Waves crashing, storm brewing
Inside the pub, the fire is roaring and the other patrons nod to the man and his children, with murmurs of greetings. The barman gives a friendly wave and a nod to the bottle of Jameson, with the elderly man replying with a smile.
The trio approach their table by the window, the firelight casting a warm amber glow over their chilled faces. The three take their coats off, and settle in, gentle trad music playing in the background for ambience. There are shots of the other patrons, smiling faces and jovial interactions with each other.
SECOND SEQUENCE
The camera returns to our family trio, now comfortable in their seats. The barman places three glasses of Jameson in front of them, patting the elderly man’s shoulder as he walks away.
Strikes on a bodhran are heard suddenly, as a group of musicians have set up in the pub for the night. Subtle notes to The Humours of Whiskey begin. The elderly man, looking out to the stormy waves begins to hum along to the tune, then singing the words himself, much to the joy of his children, who are smiling at him. His daughter grasps his hand, clearly affected by the pure moment.
THIRD SEQUENCE
We then focus back onto the elderly gentleman, who grasps his daughter's hand, and returns to looking at the sea, now singing the Irish sea shanty clearly, and beautifully (preferably in traditional sean-nos).
We are watching the waves crashing through the windows of the cozy pub, hearing the elderly man’s song, when suddenly, it is waves hitting against a porthole in a ship.
[The waves now mingled with animation, gradually the video advert becomes fully animated][Animation done by CartoonSaloon]
[Full animation] We are transported to an Irish sailor (potentially fishermen), in the lower decks of a ship, (late 17th century, 1600s - the era of Pirate Queen Grainne Mhaol (O’Malley)).
There are candles creating a soft amber glow, like the pub, but this time it is darker. The camera pans around the lower-deck, ambiently lit. The focus is now on a group of Irish sailors, sitting at a candle-lit table, with one playing bodhran. The song has continued to play behind this new scene, this time it is Hozier’s voice, instead of the elderly man’s, singing The Humours of Whiskey.
The sailors are interacting with each other, laughing and singing the song. The camera then focuses on one man, looking through the porthole out to the stormy sea, reminiscent of the elderly man in the pub. The sailor turns to his companions, and clearly instructs them to raise their glasses (we see now clearly, filled with Jameson whiskey).
As the camera focuses on the jovial sailors raising their glasses, presumably to the sea and her mysteries, we are suddenly taken back to the pub.[Animation now gradually returning to live-action]
FOURTH SEQUENCE
The glasses being raised are now the elderly man and his children. The elderly man is now finishing his version of The Humours of Whiskey, with the concluding lines being “if lightning and thunder, was made from the plunder of Whiskey me’ boys.”
