GUINNESS & ADVERTISING

For 170 years, Guinness never advertised. The beer did the talking. But in 1929, the Guinness family agreed that the brand could make ads… as long as the quality of the advertising was as good as the quality of the beer. A very simple and very effective stipulation. In February 1929, the first official Guinness advert appeared in the national British press with the slogan ‘Guinness is Good for You’.

And now, after a journey from toucans & surfers to ‘Sapeurs’ and a countless amount of ‘first sips’, it’s fair to say that Guinness advertising has captured the hearts and minds of generations. As Brian Sibley writes in his book ‘Guinness Advertising’, ‘Guinness has always been the hero of its own advertising, quite simply Guinness advertising has become an institution – like tea, cricket and fish and chips.’

All you have to do is search ‘Guinness ad’ online and you will find a world of delicious creativity and artwork. Well, that’s how Arthur might have described his beers, and with as many awards for the ads as the beer itself, the family’s only rule has clearly been upheld!