New campaign aims to challenge negative stereotypes and ‘set the record straight’
July 2022 – EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is once again challenging the negative stereotypes attached to Ireland and the Irish people, in its latest campaign, This Is Not Us.
Following research for this campaign, EPIC has uncovered predictive search data which shows that many incorrect and misleading perceptions of the Irish still prevail globally – the most common of which link the Irish to fighting, drinking, potatoes and holding grudges.
The This Is Not Us campaign aims to confront these perceptions head on by using them to visualise what a person would look like if they were true. The resulting imaginary character, Paddy McFlaherty, shows just how misleading these stereotypes can be. Created using CGI and based entirely on perceptions, this character displays and embodies how, according to Google search trends, Irish stereotypes still exist – something which EPIC are hoping to change.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum exists to show who the Irish really are, as told through the unforgettable stories of those who left our shores, influencing and shaping the world along the way. EPIC know that the Irish are more than just stereotypes – we are inventors, poets, designers, leaders and changemakers. Our music, literature, culture, sport, food and dance attract millions of people to our country each year.
Patrick Greene, CEO and Museum Director of EPIC said of the campaign, “This is not us’ is a challenge for the world to assess their assumptions about the Irish and evolve their perceptions beyond stereotypes. As an experience that prides itself on delivering an authentic and true understanding of Ireland and its people, this is what we aim to do.”
Voted Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction for the past three years, EPIC offers a fully interactive experience like no other, which brings Irish history to life and allows visitors to discover what it really means to be Irish. ‘This is not us’ is not the first time that EPIC has campaigned against stereotypical and clichéd depictions of the Irish. In 2019, the museum offered free tickets to visitors who handed in their plastic St Patrick’s Day merchandise at the door.
Aileesh Carew, Director of Sales and Marketing, said, “This campaign highlights that there are still many misleading perceptions about Ireland and the Irish people. We would like to invite people to come to EPIC for themselves and help us to set the record straight. Come and learn more about Ireland’s history, the Irish people who left this island and the true impact that they had, and continue to have, on the world.”
Visit https://epicchq.com/ for more information or search #EPICmuseum on your chosen social platform.
