Guinness’s Most Memorable Adverts of All Time
01. Guinness Zoo (1930s)
Back in the 1930s, advertising was very formal, dry, and literal. Then came the ‘My Goodness, My Guinness’ campaign. Created by artist John Gilroy, this series of vibrant posters featuring animals from the ‘Guinness Zoo’ became a landmark in advertising history. No wonder that reproductions can still be seen in Irish pubs around the world to this day.
The campaign began in 1929 when Guinness transferred their account to S.H. Benson (later Ogilvy). Gilroy, a Royal College of Art graduate, collaborated with notable copywriters including Ronald Barton, Robert Bevan, and even the famed mystery novelist Dorothy L. Sayers. His most recognizable designs depicted various animals – toucans, kangaroos, ostriches, seals, and lions – stealing pints of Guinness from a hapless zookeeper, who was actually a caricature of Gilroy himself.
02. The Zookeeper (1955)
In 1955, Guinness made advertising history again by pioneering TV advertising in the UK. The Zookeeper was one of the very first ads to be aired on British television, making its debut during ITV’s opening night on 22 September 1955. The Zookeeper was played by Charlie Naughton, a member of the famous comedy performance group The Crazy Gang.
What made this ad significant was how it translated a print campaign into the new medium of television. It brought the famous poster of the performing sea lion to life, showcasing Guinness’s innovative approach to cross-media storytelling, decades before it became standard practice.
03. After Work: Shipyard (1966)
The 1960s marked a significant shift in Guinness’s advertising, exemplified by Shipyard. The ad features a man enjoying a well-deserved pint after completing his shift at a shipyard. It was a dramatic departure from the playful, fantastical world of the zoo animals, positioning the stout instead as the perfect reward after a hard day’s work.
This ad is especially notable as it’s one of the earliest examples of data-driven advertising. Guinness had begun analyzing consumer behavior patterns, discovering that many customers viewed it as a relaxing end-of-day drink. So rather than simply continuing with a successful creative formula, the brand adapted its advertising to reflect actual consumption habits – a remarkably modern approach for the time.
04. The Island (1977)
The Island, launched in 1977, represented Guinness’s most ambitious and technically complex advertisement to date. Created by AMV BBDO and directed by Nicolai Fugslig, this ad was part of a £10 million campaign that pushed the boundaries of what was possible in television advertising.
The 60-second commercial featured an extraordinary domino effect starting with 6,000 dominoes and escalating to include books, paint cans, tires, flaming hay bales, fridges, suitcases, and even cars. Shot in a remote Argentinian village using hundreds of local residents as extras, the ad was filmed with virtually no special effects. The production challenges were enormous, with Fugslig describing the combination of intricate choreography, high-altitude location, and management of hundreds of villagers as the biggest challenge of his career.
05. Tipping Point (2007)
Tipping Point, launched in 2007, represented Guinness’s most ambitious and technically complex advertisement to date. Created by AMV BBDO and directed by Nicolai Fugslig, this ad was part of a £10 million campaign that pushed the boundaries of what was possible in television advertising.
The 60-second commercial featured an extraordinary domino effect starting with 6,000 dominoes and escalating to include books, paint cans, tires, flaming hay bales, fridges, suitcases, and even cars. Shot in a remote Argentinian village using hundreds of local residents as extras, the ad was filmed with virtually no special effects.
06. Welcome Back (2021)
The Welcome Back campaign, created by AMV BBDO in May 2021, represented a perfectly timed emotional response to the reopening of venues after COVID-19 lockdowns. With the hashtag #LooksLikeGuinness, this campaign captured the public mood with remarkable sensitivity and creativity.
The ad was inspired by the feeling of missing something so much, you start seeing it everywhere. Consequently, the commercial showed a series of black and white objects that resembled a pint of Guinness (socks on a washing line, a white cat on a black compost bin, snow on garbage cans), all set to Jack Savoretti’s cover of Always on My Mind. In this way, it cleverly built anticipation before culminating in the real thing: friends reuniting over actual pints of Guinness in a pub.
07. Holding out for a ZERO (2023)
Guinness has survived for hundreds of years by continuing to innovate, and here’s another recent example. The brand has jumped enthusiastically on the trend for 0% drinks, which dovetails nicely with its original aim of being "good for you". And in 2023, it brought this to the fore with its ‘Holding Out for a ZERO’ campaign.
Created by AMV BBDO to promote Guinness 0.0, this campaign launched for St. Patrick’s Day, and represented Guinness’s largest ever ‘responsible drinking’ initiative in Ireland. The centrepiece was a playful 30-second commercial featuring animated pints of Guinness 0.0 singing along to Bonnie Tyler’s classic hit ‘Holding Out for a Hero’. It was a daft gag, but a good one nonetheless, and approach maintained Guinness’s tradition of distinctive advertising while promoting a contemporary product innovation.
Conclusion
Guinness has consistently pushed the boundaries of advertising, creating some of the most memorable and impactful campaigns in the industry. From the whimsical zoo animals of the 1930s to the innovative 0% drinks of the 2020s, Guinness has demonstrated its ability to adapt and evolve while remaining true to its core values.
FAQs
Q: What is the history of Guinness advertising?
A: Guinness has a rich history of innovative and impactful advertising, dating back to the 1930s.
Q: What is the most memorable Guinness ad?
A: The ‘My Goodness, My Guinness’ campaign, launched in the 1930s, is widely regarded as one of the most memorable and influential in the industry.
Q: What is the most recent Guinness ad campaign?
A: The ‘Holding out for a ZERO’ campaign, launched in 2023, promotes Guinness 0.0 and is part of the brand’s largest ever ‘responsible drinking’ initiative in Ireland.
