We created the first ever New Zealand Pint Master challenge, a 3-month competition to find the bartender who could pour the perfect pint. We invited Guinness drinkers to rate their pint according to strict quality criteria – and rewarded them for their vote. The barmen with the most number of votes went into one of four regional finals, where they were judged on a Perfect Pour, Creative Pour and Cocktail Pour. Then we held a high-profile national final to select the actual Pint Master, who won a trip to Dublin to meet the ‘God of Guinness’.

Over 200 bars and pubs across New Zealand competed in the inaugural Pint Master challenge, with over 14,000 customers voting on the unique pour of their pint of Guinness. That’s almost 20 days of continual pint pouring! Off a tiny spend of just $4,500, the final event generated PR worth $91,500, equating to a 20-fold ROI – with coverage in leading newspapers, and on national TV and radio stations. Proving that even lager-loving New Zealanders can appreciate the fine art of Guinness – and reclaiming a reverence for the perfectly poured pint.