So a Pregnant Lady Walks Into The Guinness Factory​

My husband and I went on our babymoon a few months ago to the UK and one of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Guinness Factory in Dublin, Ireland. I was in my 2nd trimester of pregnancy, so the best part for me wasn't drinking a pint. Instead, my favorite part of the tour was the Guinness Advertising exhibit. There aren't a lot of tours in existence that dedicate a portion to marketing and advertising, so it was like Christmas morning for a marketing nerd like myself.

The powers that be at Guinness didn't even believe in ads until 1920. They believed the product would advertise itself, which was partly true until other breweries and beers popped up claiming they were the same quality and taste.

When they did start advertising, they told customers they should drink Guinness because it's good for them, in the medical sense. It's amazing all the unfounded claims that permeated advertising back then. Check out the ad on the right that talks all about the medical benefits of Guinness. Guinness was praised for its "healthgiving value." I guess you can say that? Depends on how you define "health."

Then, their advertising evolved in 1928 to include John Gilroy' zoo animals. A quick Wikipedia search will tell you Gilroy was an English artist and illustrator, who created clever ad posters for Guinness. He went to the zoo one day and was awed by a sea lion he saw there. This sea lion inspired Gilroy to start the "My Goodness, My Guinness." campaign that displayed the animal balancing a glass of Guinness on his nose.

Gilroy's Guinness animals included an ostrich, a pelican, a thieving bear and, of course, the toucan. To see more of Gilroy's advertisements, check out the Guinness website. These days, alcohol and tobacco companies aren't allowed to feature content in their ads that may appeal to children, so these posters of cute animals with pints of Guinness probably would never see the light of day in 2019.

The moral of the story? In a sea of competitors, a clever and memorable campaign will set you apart. It's always nice to say the "quality of my product and service will do all the advertising for me," but oftentimes it's just not the case. You need to invest in marketing and advertising so people pay attention and notice your business. Once they give you a try, then they can appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of your product. Sometimes you just have to use a cute toucan or sea lion to grab their attention.

- Nicole Powell