• by Erik Oster , August 22, 2023

Diageo-owned Irish beer brand Guinness has teamed up with Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow and NFL Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana.

The pro passing pair promote Guinness Zero -- the brand’s nonalcoholic offering promising drinkers the taste and experience of Guinness Draught with 0% ABV -- in a campaign that launched yesterday with initial short-form “Unsung Zeros” social content. As part of the “Guinness Gives Back” initiative, the dynamic duo are looking to score a victory over food insecurity by raising funds for the Bengals star’s Joe Burrow Foundation.

Seizing on a connection with the NFL’s rules change allowing players to wear the number zero, the campaign also allows fans to purchase the Guinness 0 zero worn by Burrow in the activation.

“Zero is something I strive for all the time: zero interceptions, zero turnovers, and zero food insecurity, which is what my foundation focuses on,” Burrow said in a statement straight out of the brand playbook. “That’s why teaming up with Joe Montana and Guinness has been such a blast. I’m looking forward to doing a lot of good with zero this season.”

It’s no surprise to see Guinness’ nonalcoholic offering getting a marketing boost. Parent company Diageo named Guinness as one of its biggest opportunities for global brand building, as well as pointing to the brand’s strong performance in the company's earnings report .