Diageo’s Irish beer brand Guinness enjoyed plenty of receptivity in stores ahead of the March 17 St. Patrick's Day celebration.The brand leveraged a QR code on some of its bountiful P-O-P materials to engage smartphone-wielding shoppers. Spotted on a violator in the liquor department at Rite Aid and floor cling at Albertsons Cos.’ Jewel-Osco, the code linked to a St. Patrick’s Day showcase at GuinnessGuide.Guinness.com. The page lists a series of rebates that were available from Jan. 1 through March 31 with submissions of a photo of a qualifying receipt:$15 with purchase of $15.01 worth of groceries and eligible packs of Guinness or sibling brands Harp and Smithwick’s.$15 with purchase of eligible packs of Guinness, Harp or Smithwick’s and a bottle of Diageo’s Baileys.$5 with purchase of eligible packs of Guinness, Harp or Smithwick’s.Adding to the seasonal excitement, a pallet display at Jewel-Osco merchandising Guinness and Smithwick’s was outfitted with a “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” wrap. Meanwhile, a standee positioned alongside a Guinness case stack at the grocer also plugged the “Guinness Gives Back America” cause platform the brand introduced during the 2020 holiday season. Similar to the prior year, Guinness in 2021 pledged to donate $1 (up to a $1 million collectively) from each sale of its limited-edition, region-specific eight-packs to a local nonprofit, such as The Greater Boston Food Bank or the Greater Chicago Food Depository.St. Patrick’s Day 2020 was one of the first occasions disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Guinness marked this year's lifting of most restrictions and return to traditional celebrations with a “Great Reunion Toast” contest awarding $50,000 to 20 winners. Consumers entered from Feb. 17 through March 31 at Toast.Guinness.com by submitting a 30-second video of a St. Patrick’s Day toast showing gratitude or commemorating something or someone important. Avid Marketing Group, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, handled.Guinness promoted the sweeps with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram updates. The brand also celebrated the return of festivities with multiple TV spots. (See video below.)