Diageo hands drink portfolio to O’Bric

Diageo has appointed Mother’s head of business development Garbhan O’Bric to a senior marketing role working across its portfolio of brands.

A key part of his remit will be to look at new ways of promoting the Diageo brand – beyond advertising – in the face of increasing regulation of the alcohol industry.

O’Bric will be based in Dublin and will be responsible for all Diageo’s marketing communications for brands that include Guinness, Carlsberg, Smirnoff, Baileys and Gordon’s in Ireland.

He will take the title of head of advertising, digital, media and experiential and relationship marketing for Diageo Ireland but will also be holding some level of international responsibility.

Diageo Ireland’s campaigns for brands including Guinness and Carlsberg, as well as a corporate social responsibility TV push, have run globally in the past. Diageo Ireland also has a number of UK agencies on its roster, including Bartle Bogle Hegarty, DDB and Agency.com.

Mother, which is also a Diageo roster agency, promoted O’Bric to the position of head of business development and marketing in 2006 after strategy director Jonathan Mildenhall left to join Coca-Cola in a global marketing role.

O’Bric, who has also worked at RKCR/Y&R and HHCL & Partners, says: “The implications of changing government legislation on brand communications in the category makes it a challenging and exciting brief.”

Diageo is thought to be looking to make several other appointments from advertising agencies in other markets around the world as it faces up to tightening regulation.