For almost a century, Guinness has produced some of the most best adverts of all time. From the whimsical zoo animals of the 1930s to the emotionally charged campaigns of the present day, the Irish stout brand has consistently pushed creative boundaries, making its black and white visual signature instantly recognisable worldwide.
Guinness dates back to 1759, but has never felt old-fashioned because it's almost constantly reinvented itself. That means it offers a masterclass in how to reinvent a brand's heritage: in 2016, for instance, Design Bridge (now Design Bridge and Partners) did a brilliant job of crafting a new Guinness logo while keeping existing fans happy. And the same dynamic has played out in its print ads and TV commercials.
In this article, I'll look back at the best Guinness adverts of all time, which weren't just great commercials but more broadly rewrote the rules of advertising for the profession as a whole.
01. Guinness Zoo
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 recognisable 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.
The campaign's success established the toucan as a prominent Guinness symbol alongside the brand's harp logo (which it had adopted in 1862), and spawned other classic slogans including 'Guinness is good for you' and 'Lovely day for a Guinness'. Running for nearly 30 years, these ads laid the foundation for the brand's quirky, offbeat approach that would define it for decades to come.
02. The Zookeeper
In 1955, Guinness made advertising history again by pioneering TV advertising in the UK. The Zookeeper 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.
By investing in TV advertising from the very beginning of commercial broadcasting, Guinness demonstrated remarkable foresight. This early adoption helped cement their reputation as a forward-thinking advertiser who embraces new technologies and platforms – a reputation it retains to this day.
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 analysing consumer behaviour 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.
The 'after work' theme established here helped Guinness forge a stronger emotional connection with its core audience by reflecting their lived experiences. This ad reframed Guinness as more than just a product – it became a ritual, a moment of earned relaxation, and a symbol of a worker's reward.
04. The Island (1977)
The Island (aka Ta siad ag teacht) is arguably the most culturally significant TV ad ever created in Ireland. Produced by Arks advertising and directed by John Devis, this multi-award-winning commercial captures a timeless vision of Ireland that continues to resonate nearly five decades on.
The ad depicts the inhabitants of a remote Irish-speaking island anxiously awaiting the arrival of traditional 'currach' boats, transporting kegs of Guinness. The masterful building of tension – achieved through the ambient sounds of seabirds, waves, and a ticking pub clock – culminates in the memorable exclamation "Ta siad ag teacht!" ("They are coming!" in Irish), as the boats are finally spotted.
What made this ad so remarkable was its perfect synthesis of stunning visuals, authentic cultural elements and emotional storytelling. Shot in Connemara, County Galway, with local villagers as extras, its extraordinary impact was recognised with numerous awards, including a Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival and a Clio award in New York. In 1999, it was voted the greatest Irish advertisement of the 20th century by Marketing Magazine.
Despite some criticism from some that it reinforced stereotypes about Ireland, it remains a powerful example of how Guinness advertising can capture cultural identity and transform it into something mythical and deeply resonant.
05. Pure Genius (1987)
The 1980s saw Guinness embrace a more cerebral approach to advertising with the Pure Genius campaign, conceptualised by copywriter Mark Wnek. Moving away from traditional storytelling, this campaign leveraged striking visual metaphors and intelligent design to position Guinness as a sophisticated, premium product.
The most iconic visual was this diagram showing human evolution, beginning with a crouching ape and culminating not in modern man, but in a giant pint of Guinness. The central concept is clear: Guinness represents the ultimate in human ingenuity. As such, it represented a deliberate move to elevate the brand beyond its working-class associations into a more aspirational space.
It was a smart move in a Britain that was changing rapidly throughout the 1980s. As traditional industries declined and new social identities emerged, this campaign helped Guinness appeal to a more affluent demographic while maintaining its distinctive personality.
06. Swimback (1998)
As the century came to a close, Swimblack marked the beginning of what would become one of the most celebrated advertising campaigns in history, 'Good Things Come to Those Who Wait'. Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO after winning the Guinness account from Ogilvy & Mather in January 1998, this 60-second commercial was directed by Jonathan Glazer, who would go on to become one of the most influential directors in advertising and film.
Set in a remote Italian village, the advertisement tells the story of an ageing local sports hero's annual swimming race from an offshore buoy to his brother's seafront pub. The race is timed against a pint of Guinness being poured at the bar – with the heart-warming twist that the brother ensures the hero "never loses" by starting the clock a little later each year. The commercial was shot in Monopoli, Italy, using local villagers for authenticity in the crowd scenes.
Its genius lay in how it transformed Guinness's greatest perceived weakness – the lengthy pour time – into a virtue. The 119.5 seconds required for a perfect Guinness pour had long been seen as a negative by consumers impatient for their drink. This campaign brilliantly reframed the wait as part of a delightful, special ritual. Swimblack garnered numerous industry awards, including a Creative Circle Gold for Best Editing and a gold in the British Television Advertising Awards in the Alcoholic Beverages category.
07. The Surfer (1999)
The Surfer is widely regarded as one of the greatest commercials ever created; the profession's Mona Lisa. Released in 1999 as part of the 'Good Things Come to Those Who Wait' campaign, this 60-second masterpiece, directed by Jonathan Glazer, elevated TV advertising to the realm of cinematic art.
Shot in Hawaii over a nine-day period, the ad depicts a group of surfers waiting for the perfect wave. When it finally arrives, the crashing white surf transforms into galloping white horses, creating an unforgettable visual metaphor for the power and beauty of nature – and by extension, the perfect pint of Guinness. One by one, surfers "crash out" until only one conquers the wave, joined by his friends in celebration on the shore.
The story drew inspiration from Walter Crane's 1893 painting Neptune's Horses, with narration loosely inspired by Herman Melville's Moby Dick. The pulsating soundtrack, Phat Planet by Leftfield, perfectly complemented the striking black and white visuals, creating a sensory experience that transcended the typical advertising of the era.
The ad dominated the 1999 awards season, winning more accolades than any other commercial that year, including prestigious Clio Awards, D&AD Awards, and Cannes Lions. In 2000, it was voted the best ad of all time in a poll conducted by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times.
I'd argue this ad represents the perfect synthesis of art and commerce. It transformed the waiting time for a Guinness from a negative into something almost spiritual – a moment of anticipation that made the reward all the more satisfying. As a result, its cultural significance extended beyond selling beer; it influenced fashion, music videos and filmmaking for years to come.
08. 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 (who'd previously shot Sony Bravia's famous 'Balls' commercial), this advertisement 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, tyres, flaming hay bales, fridges, suitcases, and even cars. Shot in a remote Argentinian village using hundreds of local residents as extras, the advertisement 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.
It was all worth it, though. The result was a spectacular advertisement that reinforced Guinness's reputation for creative ambition and technical excellence.
But actually, what really made Tipping Point innovative was its integrated digital marketing campaign. Titled 'La Fiesta de Toppling', the online component featured Juan Ramon, the fictional mayor of the village, who led users through an online challenge of 11 interlinked tasks. Participants had to solve clues scattered across the internet to win solid gold dominoes, creating one of the earliest examples of a truly transmedia advertising campaign.
09. 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.
After a year of social distancing and closed venues, the advertisement, which won the Thinkboxes award for TV Creativity, tapped into collective feelings of longing and relief. The campaign revived the iconic slogan 'Good things come to those who wait,' which took on new meaning in the context of the 2020s.
Beyond the creative concept, Guinness demonstrated corporate responsibility by supporting the hospitality industry with a £30 million pledge, providing PPE kits and training for bar staff. This holistic approach to marketing – combining emotional storytelling with concrete action – resulted in an overwhelmingly positive reception, with many viewers reporting that the advertisement moved them to tears.
10. 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' tradition of distinctive advertising while promoting a contemporary product innovation.
What made this campaign particularly notable was its ambitious scale and strategic focus on sampling, with free pints available in over 300 locations. The messaging of 'Make it a St Patrick’s Day to (actually) remember this year' again struck the right balance between humour and a serious message of moderation.
Want more great advertising? See our best adverts of the decade series.
