St. Patrick’s Day is a party that has travelled well, celebrated in every corner of the globe by both the Irish and the Irish-for-a-day. But this year, four groups of fans to remote part of the globe that hasn’t celebrated St. Patrick’s Day -- Svalbard, Norway, just 650 miles from the North Pole.
Dublin creative agency The Public House created the expedition idea for Jameson, which saw four groups of friends from India, Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand traverse across Svalbard Norway, for one very special reason - it’s the geographical representation of the year 1780 (the year Jameson started). Located at 17 degrees West and 80 degrees North, it’s truly a remote location. Locals are nearly outnumbered by polar bears, snow and glaciers dominate the landscape, and there’s no Irish pub in sight.
Colin Hart, creative director of The Public House said: “It’s great to work with a brand like Jameson that isn’t afraid to open up the definition of what St. Patrick’s Day can be. Going to a place like Svalbard gives everyone permission to be more creative with how to celebrate Ireland’s big day.”
The journey wasn’t short of adventures, with the group exploring ice caves, frozen waterfalls, and even faced a route detour upon spotting a family of polar bears. The Jameson fans cemented their new friendships with a game of glacier rugby in the freezing Arctic conditions - all while keeping frostbite at bay.
Simon Fay, international marketing director at Irish Distillers, was excited for fans to enjoy the most unique St. Patrick’s Day gathering the world had ever seen: “St. Patrick’s Day is not just a big day of celebration in Ireland – it’s become a historic day that’s shared all over the world, where we get together with friends and make new memories. This year we wanted to show the world you can create unforgettable moments wherever you are and what better way to demonstrate this than from 17° 80°."