This is what I like

There’s a new Heineken TV ad that went live on Facebook last night:

Heineken’s latest brand ad highlights the Heineken drinker’s ability to open their world to new and different experiences. ‘That’s what this commercial is about — creating a great Heineken story. Unexpected encounters become legendary stories in themselves.

Also on Facebook meanwhile there’s a new competition - designing a St Patrick’s Day inspired Heineken bottle.

Thanks to Thinkhouse, their wonderful PR company, you can now win a Heineken hamper, including bottles with the winning design on them. 

All you have to do is comment below to be in with a chance. You must be over 18 and living in Ireland.

You can also create your own, personalised Heineken bottles over on Heineken.ie: 

What is ‘Your Heineken’?

‘Your Heineken’ lets beer fans personalise the very bottle that contains their favourite beer. 

 Using the outline of the iconic green bottle as a template, Heineken enthusiasts can fill their bottle with designs, pictures and messages, creating their very own Heineken bottle, delivered straight to their door.

Bottles come in a six pack and cost €29.99, including post and packaging. In just five easy steps, anyone can customise their very own Heineken bottle.  

1. Log on to www.heineken.ie
2. Choose a suitable theme (birthday, celebration, thank you etc)
3. Add your own picture and message
4. Enter your payment details and address
5. Wait with anticipation at the door for the delivery of your very own ‘Your Heineken’

19/03/2011 - EDIT: ALL WINNERS HAVE BEEN EMAILED BY ME AND NOTIFIED BELOW. CONGRATULATIONS!

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These people below are having a 7UP party in Dublin Saturday night where The Coronas and Delorentos will be playing. You can win tickets to come along.

Seven buddies from Wexford - Paul, Dwaine, Maria, John, Ciara, Conor and Mat - were reunited with friends and family, thanks to the 7UP Free ‘Bring Them Back for the Craic’ competition.

After weeks of demanding challenges and campaigning for votes, the Paddys Downunder, now living in Australia, were flown home from the Land of Oz in time for St. Patrick’s Day, and will have a massive party thrown in their honour on Saturday 19th March, with The Coronas and Delorentos performing in The Tivoli Theatre in Dublin’s City Centre.

Terms and Conditions: 18+ residents of Ireland only. Closing date is 18 March 2011. Winners will be chosen at random. The winner and guest must be able to attend the event on Saturday night. Venue terms may apply and proof of age may be required.  

SO the gig - a 7UP Free one - is on this Saturday 19 March and is on from 8pm at the Tivoli Theatre, Francis Street, Dublin.

Want to come along? Comment below and I’ll let the winners know on Friday!

7UP are on Facebook here.

Thanks to 7UP and Piaras in Edelman for arranging the tickets.

The lovely folks at the Irish Film Institute (IFI) have been in touch to offer two pairs of tickets to see BETWEEN THE CANALS from this weekend.

Written and directed by Mark O’ Connor, it stars Dan Hyland, Peter Coonan, Damien Dempsey and a host of others.

You’ll find out how to win the tickets below.

Here’s the film details:

BETWEEN THE CANALS
OPENS EXCLUSIVELY AT IFI
March 18th - 24th

Between the Canals follows three small-time criminals from Dublin’s north inner city as they each aspire to be somebody in a fast-changing society. A heartbreaking and occasionally hilarious story of loyalty, duty and masculinity…

While the criminal underbelly of Dublin city has occupied many – arguably too many – Irish filmmakers over the past 15 years, Mark O’Connor’s debut distinguishes itself by largely avoiding genre clichés and creating credible and likable portraits of small-time troublemakers.

Between The Canals follows three small time criminals from Dublin’s North Inner City as they each aspire to be somebody in a fast changing society: Liam (Hyland) a small time dealer who wants to quit his life of crime to become an electrician and provide for his girlfriend and son; Dots (Coonan), a crazy, irresponsible thug with ambitions to become a big time dealer and Scratchcard (Jones), a drug user with no ambitions but to stay on social welfare and watch the world go by. 

Liam is torn between life in the flats and his responsibility to be a good father to his son. He has to just get through this one day and maybe things will look brighter on the other side. But it’s Saint Patrick’s Day and, in Dublin City, this means trouble everywhere.

As with Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine (both clear influences), the film’s engine is freewheeling male friendship in a deprived urban setting [more].

To book, please click [here].

FILMMAKERS IN CONVERSATION March 19th, 12.00
 

Director of Between the Canals, Mark O’Connor, and actor Peter Coonan will join Tony Tracy (NUIG) at the IFI on March 19th at 12.00 to discuss the trials of shooting a micro-budget feature in Dublin’s inner city over 12 days with a largely non-acting cast. This event is FREE but ticketed so please call IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 to reserve your seat.

IFI Box Office: 01 679 3477 - Online Bookings: www.ifibooking.ie

You can win a pair of tickets for any of the following showings:

• Sat 19 March – 13.00, 19.20
• Sun 20 March – 13.00, 19.15
• Mon 21 March – 13.00, 19.20
• Tue 22 March – 16.30
• Wed 23 March – 13.00, 19.20
• Thur 24 March – 13.20, 17.30

Just comment below with which screening you’d like and you’ll be in with a shot (as Niamho would say).

Thanks to the IFI for the competition. While you’re there, check out their membership offers. I’ve been a member for a couple of years now and it’s a great investment in what they do.

See Neil Hannon, Cathy Davey, Jape and Romeo from the Magic Numbers performing Vampire Weekend’s first album at The JD Set at the Button Factory, Dublin on Friday, April 1.

It’s a money-can’t-buy gig and I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away.

Just comment below with why you think you should win a pair. Best answers are in with the best chance!

Concert details below:

Critically acclaimed singer songwriter, Neil Hannon, will collaborate with popular artists, Cathy Davey, Jape and Romeo from the Magic Numbers, at a unique and exclusive live gig which will see them perform their own version of Vampire Weekend’s debut album ‘Vampire Weekend’.

Tickets cannot be purchased for this one off gig on Friday 1^st April in The Button Factory. 

For more information see www.thejdset.ie or http://www.facebook.com/jackdanielsjdsetireland

Your friends at Jack Daniel’s remind you to drink responsibly. Know when to unplug.

Terms and Conditions: 18+ residents of ROI only. Closing date is 25 March 2011 at midnight. Winners will be chosen at random. The winner and guest must be able to attend the event on 1^st April 2011. Venue terms may apply and proof of age may be required.  

I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away to How 2.0 - and also a discount code for you.

How 2.0 is a conference on Tuesday March 29 in Dublin focussing on how businesses can market themselves online.

How 2.0 Market Your Business Online is a fully informative conference shedding light on all aspects of online marketing for your business.

Aimed at business owners, sales managers, marketing managers & crucially non techies, the How 2.0 conference promises not only to show you what’s possible but also to ensure you leave with the know how to get started yourself.

Through our WOW sessions and our How workshops we’ll show you how using:

Google, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter & Email Marketing

can help engage your market and ultimately add to your bottom line - without adding to your costs. And our sessions to de-mistify search engine marketing will have you up and running on Google by the following week. 

There’s a wide range of speakers and topics, myself included, to share what we know on topics like the below:

To be in with a chance to win tickets just comment below on why you think you should win them.

In addition, I have a discount code for the first 20 people to buy early bird tickets - save €30 on the cost of €150 and pay just €120 when you use DDVBF

With thanks to Karl in ingage for the tickets. 

With thanks to Cybercom, I have tickets to give away to The National Digital Media & Marketing Summit in Croke Park on March 30.

Full ticket prices are €240.79 (incl VAT) and Early Bird are €180.29 (incl VAT).

All you have to do to win them is comment below on why you think you should get a ticket.

You can also win tickets over on the Cybercom Facebook page. Their twitter account is @digital_summit. The hastag is #ndmms

Here’s the details:

Theme:

BUILDING BRAND RELATIONSHIPS IN AN ERA OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE

Speakers confirmed to date:

• Inma Martinez - one of the World’s Leading Digital Media Strategists
• Jonathan Forrest - MD, Cybercom
• Patrick Leddy - CEO, Furious Tribe
• Anthony Quigley - CEO, The Digital Marketing Institute
• Philippe Brodeur - MD, EightTwenty Interactive
• Richard Colwell - MD, Red C Research

This second National Digital Media & Marketing Summit aims to educate and expand delegates’ knowledge of the medium and therefore, get maximum return on their marketing spend.

The National Digital Media & Marketing Summit aims to bring digital marketing professionals and clients together; both agencies and service providers to discuss the most important issues such as Social Media, Mobile Digital Communications & Entertainment, On Line Advertising, On Line Video, Digital Media Investment, the Future of News Media, Emerging Technologies, Privacy, Security and Personalisation, the Smart Economy, Digital Marketing’s Role in Integrated Communications, Comparative Evaluation, Cross Media Optimisation, and What the Future Holds for Digital Marketing to mention a few.  

We aim to attract a wide range of clients to the conference to enable them to see the merits, advantages and the latest advances in digital marketing for themselves by hearing from the experts.  

The inaugural National Digital Media & Marketing Summit in March 2010 was a huge success.  The digital industry embraced the event by providing huge support both through sponsorship and exhibition participation.

Over 500 informed delegates from leading high profile companies attended the event in search of answers to their digital marketing questions.  For 2011 we aim to expand on last year’s event by covering many of the hot topics that marketers need answers to now.

More marketing Euros are being spent on digital campaigns than ever before. And it’s increasing, even in the face of declining marketing budgets. Digital marketing and advertising is becoming the best marketing method to communicate with customers and enable you to recruit new customers.

Vicar Street, Dublin, tomorrow evening from 7.30pm. CEOL.

Republic Of Loose, Delorentos, Heathers, Fiach, The Flaws, Lumiere, Lir, Dublin Gospel Choir, Luan Parle and more. Tickets only €20 and all proceeds to Barnardos.

You can win two tickets by just sharing your favourite Irish word(s) in the comments below.

The press release bit:

Seachtain na Gaeilge in association with Aiken Promotions, St Patrick’s Day Festival, Raidio Rí Rá and Barnardos presents:

Ceol in Vicar St, March 16th. Doors 7.30pm.

Seachtain na Gaeilge presents a live concert in Vicar Street on the 16th of March as part of the Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations of 2011 in aid of Barnardos Ireland.

The concert will be packed full of top-rated acts singing their well known songs both in English and Irish. Acts including chart toppers; Republic of Loose, Delorentos, Heathers, Fiach, The Flaws, Lumiere, Lir, Dublin Gospel Choir and Luan Parle will take to the stage alongside some surprise special guests.

Tickets cost €20, a marginal price to pay for such headline acts, with every cent of the profits going to Barnardos.

Seachtain na Gaeilge will be working hard with the St.Patrick’s Day Festival, Aiken Promotions and Radió Rí-Rá to fill the venue!

The aim of this concert is to promote and celebrate the Irish language.

 Ceol will illustrate some of the outstanding talent we have in Ireland. The acts will be accompanied by members of The Orchestra of Ireland (An Ceolfhoireann na hÉireann) led by renowned arranger, Joe Csibi and the house band led by the very talented musician and producer Gavin Ralston.

The objective of the concert is to lift the musical spirits of all and with a line-up like this, it’s hard to pass up. With well known acts from Ireland’s music industry, It’s rare to see such a mix of talent from different genres coming together on one stage in an event such as this.

 Ceol is our biggest production for Seachtain na Gaeilge 2011 and promises to be a very memorable night for all who attend. These musicians are working together to help improve the lives of children who are in need of charities such as Barnados.

With all profits going directly to Barnados, we hope to raise a significant amount that will make a difference to the children who need it most.

Ceol le Seachtain na Gaeilge, Vicar Street, 16th March, Doors 7.30pm.

Tickets available from here.

Just put your favourite Irish word(s) below. Winners will be picked this evening after 9pm.

A big thanks to the folks at Seachtain na Gaeilge for the tickets.

Spring Break. The Guinness Storehouse. St Patrick’s Day. 

If you don’t know who Spring Break are, well, erm, you may not be as excited by this competition as I am.

Thanks to WHPR and the Guinness Storehouse, I have pairs of tickets to give away to the Storehouse celebrations on the 17th.

We went last year and had a great time. This year you can win a pair of tickets too.

To be in with a chance just comment below letting us know why you think you should win! I’ll pick the winners on Wednesday afternon.

Don’t forget, if your name is Patrick, Patricia or a derivative thereof, you can get free entry on the day.

Details from the press release below and details on their site here:

Thursday 3rd March: Today, Guinness Storehouse announced that they will host the first ever “Patrick Parade” on St. Patrick’s Day in celebration of all the things Patrick!

As part of their exciting St. Patrick’s Day Festival, this year Guinness Storehouse is inviting everybody by the firstname of *Patrick, and variants of the name (see full list below), to take part in, as well as enjoy, the amazing line-up of entertainment at the Storehouse.

As well as their very own parade, all those by the name of Patrick who land at Guinness Storehouse on St. Patrick’s Day will receive free entry to enjoy the festivities.

Upon arrival all Patricks will receive a VIP (Very Important Patrick) Pass, a special VIP Patrick t-shirt and are invited to join in the special Patrick Parade!

All Patricks are invited to take part in the Patrick Parade, which will be led by an energetic marching band in celebration of all things Patrick.

The Patricks will parade alongside the band proudly celebrating their namesake on St. Patrick’s Day! Patricks must present official photo ID, e.g. passport, driver’s license, National Identity Card, at the point of purchase to gain free admission.

(Can’t see this? The PDF is here.)

As well as the Patrick Parade, there is a vibrant line up of home grown talent and entertainment to mark the occasion of Ireland’s national holiday.

Headlining the day is Ireland’s most loved 80’s cover band ‘Spring Break’ who will be sure to keep the crowd dancing with their signature air guitar moves and air punching!

DJs will provide some seriously cool tunes to compliment the panoramic 360 views in Gravity Bar, the highest viewpoint of the city where visitors receive a complimentary pint of Guinness to enjoy while soaking up the atmosphere on the day.

For all those who are not lucky enough to be called Patrick but would like to be involved in the celebrations, there will be an interactive Céilí taking place for all to enjoy.

Or for those who would rather stay off the dance floor and fancy learning a new skill, staff will be on hand to demonstrate how to master the art of pouring the perfect pint of Guinness plus caricaturists will be on hand to capture the moment as a memento to take home!

The Storehouse will serve complimentary Guinness brown bread with smoked salmon on the day as well as complimentary tastings of two Guinness variants – Foreign Extra Stout and Extra Stout. There will also be a selection of traditional and contemporary Guinness inspired recipes on offer in the Brewery Bar Restaurant.

The ultimate St. Patrick’s Day experience at Guinness Storehouse is free of charge to all Patricks and for everyone else, standard admission rates apply.

Adult tickets cost €15 and those who purchase a ticket online at www.guinness-storehouse.com can also avail of a 10% discount off adult tickets.

For full terms and conditions and details of The Guinness Storehouse St. Patrick’s Day Festival log onto www.guinness-storehouse.com and check out the new Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/guinnessstorehouse.

Vodafone are a client over on Boards.ie (I help them with customer service) and Simply Zesty sent me one of their Sure Signal Boosters a while ago.

I’ve asked to give it away and they’ve added one, so there’s two of these up for grabs.

Here’s the press release

Thursday, 3rd February, 2011 – Vodafone Ireland today announced a significant breakthrough for mobile customers who have limited or no indoor signal with the launch of Vodafone Sure Signal – the first device introduced in Ireland to significantly improve 3G mobile phone coverage in homes and small offices.

The easily installed, plug & play Vodafone Sure Signal unit simply connects to any fixed broadband service. Sure Signal delivers reliable mobile coverage indoors for all 3G handsets and data devices without having an impact on your fixed broadband performance.

“Sure Signal is unique to Vodafone and is a solution for customers who have no signal or limited signal at home or in the office due to local environmental or topographical factors impacting on the indoor signal strength.

The launch of Sure Signal essentially means these customers will be able to avoid missing calls and texts due to inconsistent indoor coverage. As a result they can take advantage of the full range of Vodafone mobile services via their handset and mobile broadband modems,” said Stefano Gastaut, Consumer Director, Vodafone Ireland.

Vodafone Sure Signal allows up to four concurrent calls at any one time and customers can allow up to 10 users access to their Sure Signal device.

Beginning today, Vodafone customers can register their interest in Sure Signal at www.vodafone.ie/suresignal. Specific pricing and availability will be announced in detail in coming weeks. The units will retail at under €100 as a once off charge with no ongoing rental.  

For further information please visit www.vodafone.ie/suresignal

Pat Phelan has reviewed it over here.

Like to win one? Post below to be in with a chance. Give a good reason to be in with a better chance…

Thanks to Vodafone and to Niall for the prizes.