On the heels of Jameson Irish Whiskey’s “Must be a Jameson” campaign, Jameson has created a new holiday, because a Jameson wouldn’t let Leap Year get in the way of a good time.
NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The world has patiently waited since 2018 for St. Patrick’s Day to again fall on a Saturday, but Leap Year almost ruined everything. Who wants to wait until 2029 to celebrate properly on a Saturday? Jameson Irish Whiskey doesn’t, that’s for sure, which is why they’ve created a very made-up (but very official) new holiday: Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve on Saturday, March 16. For the next month, Jameson is helping revelers prepare for the occasion, from limited-edition St. Patrick’s Eve jackets to smooth cocktails to a chance to join a Jameson-ified St. Patrick’s Eve countdown live in Times Square.
St. Patrick’s Eve brings the brand’s Must be a Jameson campaign to life by creating a world that connects likeminded people who choose to see the green side of things. Nothing brings people together more than a good holiday and because every Eve celebration has top-notch hosts, Jameson has tapped comedians Colin Jost and Michael Che to help everyone ring in St. Patrick’s Eve.
Our Must be a Jameson campaign honors a community anchored by their shared lighthearted spirit, so when Leap Year skipped over a Saturday St. Patrick’s Day, we did exactly what a Jameson would do: we created a completely new holiday so people can start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day a little early. We teamed up with Colin Jost and Michael Che to help us seize this moment and encourage everyone to embrace St. Patrick’s Eve, because they’re a duo who appreciates a smooth Irish Whiskey, good company and a brand-new holiday – just like any Jameson would.
Johan Radojewski, VP of Marketing, Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jost and Che star in a series of hilarious content depicting just how frustrating it is to have Leap Year steal a Saturday St. Patrick’s Day and ultimately agreeing that Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve is the perfect (only?) solution.
I don’t believe in leap years. Which is why I’m several days late for every appointment. But for all you sheep who trust Big Calendar and think February ‘sometimes’ has an extra day, we’ve gotten you off the hook by inventing a new holiday, St. Patrick’s Eve. And like I keep yelling at my family and therapist, ‘This isn’t just an excuse to party on Saturday as well as Sunday. It’s a real holiday.’
Colin Jost
Michael Che is also on board, making this Jameson partnership the first joint brand deal for the close pair.
Colin is also probably a little relieved we’re going to spend a Saturday night ringing in St. Patrick’s Eve with Jameson, instead of reading the jokes I write for him.
Michael Che
To make St. Patrick’s Eve as epic as possible, Jameson is taking over Times Square on Saturday, March 16. Starting today, fans can visit JamesonSPE.com to enter for a chance to score a spot on the guest list for Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve celebration in New York City, co-hosted by Jost and Che, featuring a surprise DJ performance and a can’t-miss, first-of-its-kind ‘rock drop’ – a Jameson version of the famous Times Square ball drop – at 8 p.m. ET (aka midnight in Ireland) to mark the occasion.
Jameson Irish Whiskey is one of the first brands to ever drop the Times Square Ball to celebrate a new holiday. To further spread the St. Patrick’s Eve spirit from coast-to-coast, Jameson will also light up the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas, known as the Exosphere in Jameson green; wrap the ferries and water taxis in the dyed-green Chicago River and have a complete digital takeover at L.A. Live – all marking the new holiday.
Anyone 21+ can tune into the rock drop live streamed on JamesonSPE.com and for those in NYC, Jameson will have a kick-off to St. Patrick’s Eve in Times Square Plaza between 43rd and 44th Streets with a live DJ, giveaways and more from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
Because a special holiday deserves an equally stylish look, Jameson is releasing limited-edition, vintage-inspired jackets at JamesonSPE.com. The design includes a hidden pocket inside the jacket to perfectly hold a Jameson hip flask that comes with the order, as well as luxe patches signature to the iconic Irish Whiskey brand. The Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve jacket will retail for $150 plus tax with free shipping in the continental U.S., and 50-jacket drops will take place weekly starting on February 20 through March 12. All proceeds will benefit the Restaurant Workers’ Community Fund (RWCF), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for food and beverage service industry workers, continuing the brand’s long-standing partnership with the organization to support its bartending community.
Once plans are made and outfits are set, fans can also try the new Jameson Orange Spritz ready-to-drink cocktail to raise a toast on St. Patrick’s Eve, wherever they may be. Tapping into the insight that Orange is the top-preferred flavor for whiskey drinkers, the newest flavor in the Jameson ready-to-drink cocktail lineup is the first of the reformulation, featuring a higher ABV, now at 7%.
For more details about Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve festivities or for St. Patrick’s Eve cocktail ideas, visit JamesonSPE.com and follow @Jameson_US.
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