• Brandweek, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:15 AM

Anheuser-Busch--which last year acquired U.S. import rights for Bass Ale--is planning a print and radio push to support an online petition drive by Diageo's Guinness brand to make St. Patrick's Day an official holiday. Bass Ale and Guiness are sometimes mixed to create a "black and tan" mixture.

Despite the frequent mixing of the two brands by bartenders in the U.S., the relationship between them has seldom been acknowledged by marketers. Diageo has tended to push its Harp brand as the "tan," instead of Bass, while A-B has emphasized its obscure Bare Knuckle Stout in lieu of Guinness.

A-B, according to a memo, will support Guinness' push for 1 million signatures in favor of an official U.S. St. Patrick's Day holiday, with full-page print ads in alternative weeklies in 14 markets, as well as "nontraditional" radio sponsorships on stations popular with men aged 25-49. The ads will begin running this week.

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