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Advertising character

Michael Power is an advertising character (played by Cleveland Mitchell), the cornerstone of a large marketing campaign by the beer company Guinness to promote its products in Africa from 1999 to 2006. By 2003, it became one of the best known alcohol advertising campaigns in Africa. Jo Foster of the BBC referred to Power as "Africa's very own 'James Bond'".

In 1999, the marketing firm Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide was trying to turn Guinness in Africa into what they call a "Lovemark", what they describe as a brand that enjoys "loyalty beyond reason" from consumers. The African market for Guinness at the time was faltering. Saatchi & Saatchi's goal was thus to advertise Guinness to the diverse populations across the continent and to double Guinness sales by 2005. thus casts the beer in the same positive light as the strong, virile, triumphant hero. Power and the campaign that surrounded him are also notable because the advertisements were shot on location in Africa using African actors and crews. Many Africans speculated about Power's country and village of origin. Mitchell, as Powers, answered questions with slogan like ambiguity: "Nigerians should always believe in themselves . . They should hang in there and always believe that our best days are always ahead of us. Never give up on your dreams".

In 2003, Guinness produced the feature film Critical Assignment (French: Engagement critique). Mitchell, credited as Michael Power, stars. The film's focus on the world's water crisis gained endorsement from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the film carries their Logo. Critical Assignment was uniquely shot in five African countries, and engaged only local actors and crew. According to Frank, it is "the largest Pan African marketing initiative ever undertaken by Guinness Africa". The campaign featured such tag lines as: "Everyday someone, somewhere achieves something new. Sometimes on a grand, dramatic scale. Sometimes on a more personal scale." As of 2004, Guinness ranked among the top three beer labels in Singapore and Malaysia, with a 20 per cent marketshare across Southeast Asia. Malaysia was the brand's third largest market in the region and sixth largest market worldwide.

Diageo, owner of the Guinness brand, cancelled the Michael Power campaign in 2006. They replaced it with the "Guinness Greatness" campaign, which they claim emphasizes the "drop of greatness" in everyone, in contrast to the high tension heroics of the Power character.