The spirit of Ireland: Tourism Ireland and Grey London go above and beyond in new campaign

Tourism Ireland has unveiled its new global advertising campaign ‘Ireland Goes Beyond’, created by Grey London, that sets out to redefine perceptions of the island of Ireland as a holiday destination.

In a competitive global tourism landscape where every destination is fighting for attention with famous landmarks, white sand beaches, or guaranteed warm weather, Ireland has plenty of competition. To outcompete and grow visitor numbers, Tourism Ireland and Grey set out to answer a fundamental question: what’s the one thing you can get in Ireland that you can’t get anywhere else?

To answer this question, the agency went beyond the typical list of tourist sights and undertook ethnographic research with everyone from tour operators to Irish locals and industry experts, all to gain an authentic understanding of what makes the island so unique.

This revealed a distinctive truth about the destination: what truly sets Ireland apart isn't just a list of attractions, but an inherent "spirit of generosity" that resonates with every visitor.

This spirit is felt throughout the island: the warmth and charm of its people, its calm, inviting wide-open natural spaces, and a vibrant culture of music, food and art that actively encourages you to take part, not just observe. Every aspect of visiting Ireland feels like a generous invitation.

The core insight for the campaign is that while most holidays leave visitors feeling like a tourist on the periphery, Ireland truly invites you in. It’s not just a place you visit, but somewhere you’re made to feel truly part of, from the place to the people and the culture. 

The campaign platform, "the island that goes beyond," is designed to bottle this unique spirit of generosity and motivate holidaymakers around the world to visit.

The hero film playfully illustrates the island’s intrinsic generosity through the story of Paul, a local man determined to return a lost hat to visitors.

This simple act of kindness escalates into an unexpected pursuit, taking viewers on a journey across Ireland's stunning landscapes, rich culture, and unique experiences.

As the visitors venture deeper into Ireland, Paul’s epic effort becomes symbolic of the island that goes beyond. This is supported by a suite of social films that bring to life different examples of the generosity of the people, culture, and scenery across the island.

Aidan Power, Tourism Ireland’s director of marketing, said: “We know that visitors to the island of Ireland are motivated by our stunning scenery, deep history and rich culture. Uniquely, our people and our welcome add to this, by welcoming our visitors in. The island of Ireland is a place of connection and we’re proud to share some of that in our new campaign.”

Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London, adds: “Unfolding like a small film, a simple act of kindness becomes a cinematic celebration of Ireland’s warmth, humour and spirit. We wanted to reflect the uniquely human character of the island, and it was a genuine honour to create a story that celebrates what makes travelling in Ireland so memorable.”

The 'Ireland Goes Beyond' campaign is being rolled out globally across various channels, forming a central pillar of Tourism Ireland’s wider marketing strategy for 2026 to promote the island overseas.

Credits

Client: Tourism Ireland 
Director of Marketing: Aidan Power 
Head of Brand/Marketing Communications: Elmagh Killeen 
Content and Brand Manager: Jenny Jensma 
Brand Executive: Siobhan Harrison
Agency: Grey London 
Chief Creative Officer: Helen Rhodes 
Creative Directors: Angela Harding, Terry O’Neill 
Designer: Felix Townsend 
Producer: Sarah Fry 
Assistant Producer: Eden Hastings 
Senior Production Affairs Manager: Sarah Scarlett 
Managing Partner: Megan Armitage 
Global Account Director: Holly Dovey-Hudson
Project Director: Rachael Bowen 
Senior Account Manager: Misha Patel 
Account Executive: Rudi Barrington 
Strategy Director: Gil Caldwell-Dunn
Director: Tom Speers @tomspeerss 
Production Company: Speers Film 
Executive Producer: Johnny Speers 
Line Producer: Grainne Tiernan 
Director’s Production Company: SMUGGLER @smugglersite 
SMUGGLER Managing Director & EP: Lucy Kelly @_lucy__kelly_ 
SMUGGLER Producer: Luca Chapman @_lucachapman
Production Coordinator: Keeva Bolger 
PM (NOS): Max Carpio 
Production Assistant: Neil Murphy 
Location Manager: Donnacha Brady 
Locations Assistant: Patrick Daly 
Trainee Locations: Rachel Noone 
1st AD: Thomas Bentley 
3rd AD: Noelle O’Reilly
DOP: Patrick Golan 
1st AC: Tommy Griffin 
2nd AC: Ian Birney 
DIT: Chris Sales
Video Assist Op: Rizwan Rao 
Grip: Jimmy Gillen 
Grip Assistant: Seosamh Duffy 
Camera/Grip Truck Driver: Paul Thompson 
Sound Recordist: Farhad Katrahmani
Gaffer: Eoin O’Hagan 
Genny OP/Electrician: Padraic Schley 
Electricians: Sean Schley, Dave Durney 
Production Designer: Susie Cullen
Hair and Make-Up Artist: Róisín Derrane 
Stylist: Colm Corrigan 
Social Director: RAWTAPE 
Social Producer: Izzy Davis 
Social 1st AD: Brendan McKeever
Social DOP: Aidan Gault 
Social 1st AC: Sam Mulcahy
Social Camera Trainee: Anna O’Connell 
Social Production Assistant: Ana Francis
Edit: Dan Sherwen 
Edit House: Tenthree 
Post Production: Screen Scene
Music Supervision: Birdbrain 
Composer: Donal O’ Connor, Niall Rogers and Reimer Elsing