S3E1: Vinny Warren - WASSUP with this Irish ad legend?
WASSUP?
Season III of Irish Stew is WASSUP!
We launch with an episode on the Irish ad man responsible for the memorable Budweiser commercial that had people around the world shouting WASSUP--Vinny Warren.
Vinny takes you from his native Galway to London, New York, Boston and finally Chicago, relates why his time as a bartender would later prove so valuable, how being a Central Park carriage driver fit into his unorthodox career strategy, his near death experiences with both the mafia and a mountain lion, how he stalked his way into his dream job, and the moment in Galway he realized that WASSUP had gone global.
Vinny tells us about starting his own agency Escape Pod where he did his most meaningful project, Metro Gun Share Program, a sly commentary on America’s gun culture and a fundraising vehicle for gun control advocacy.
Vinny may have sold Escape Pod but he’s still very much in business at vinny.warren.com.
Maybe we can get him for the Irish Stew ad campaign!
Links:
- Website: www.vinnywarren.com
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinny_Warren
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinnywarren/
- WASSUP? Commercial: https://www.vinnywarren.com/project-1
- Metro Gun Share Program: https://www.chicagonow.com/reflections-chicago-life/2018/05/the-metro-gun-share-program/#image/1
00:00 - Introduction
02:18 - Whatsup Impact
03:41 - Galway Origin Story
06:09 - Heading to England
07:11 - Early Advertising Influences
07:55 - Coming to the States
08:48 - Random NYC Jobs
09:59 - Targeting Ed McCabe
10:41 - Carriage Driver Stories
18:04 - Stalking Ed McCabe
21:38 - The Nightstick Idea
23:30 - Adrenaline and Ed McCabe
25:06 - What does Adrenalized Mean?
27:54 - Getting to Chicago
30:34 - Irish American Cities
31:38 - Leaving Ireland Behind
33:22 - American TV Culture
34:36 - Leveraging the Irish Perspective
36:53 - American Beer
38:41 - Whatsup Campaign
49:35 - Personal Impact of Whatsup Campaign
51:58 - Culture Change and Real Life Ads
54:39 - Metro Gun Share
58:35 - Measuring Campaign Success
01:01:14 - Looking Forward
01:03:12 - Petting a Puma
01:05:17 - Recap
01:09:45 - Credits
Executive Creative Director
Vinny Warren is a native of Galway, Ireland. He began his advertising career working for his idol, ad legend Ed McCabe, in New York City. Vinny’s work has won every advertising award in the world. As well as winning the Cannes Grand Prix (film and TV), he has won the Grand Clio and Best of Show at the One Show Interactive awards. Two of Vinny’s ads were nominated for an Emmy Award for best commercial. In 2006 his work for Budweiser was inducted to the Clio Hall of Fame. Vinny lives in Chicago.
