Printed Ephemera — C.1934
Guinness for Strength
Colour lithograph advertising poster promoting Guinness. Designed by the artist John Gilroy the poster depicts a builder carrying a large steel girder on one shoulder and the slogan 'Guinness for Strength'.
This poster was designed by the commercial artist John Gilroy for the advertising agency S H Benson Ltd. Gilroy began working for Benson’s in 1925. As well as designing posters for Guinness he also worked on campaigns for Skipper Sardines, Bovril, Macleans and Coleman's mustard.
In 1928 Benson's advertising agency won the prestigious Guinness Brewery account. To build an image for the popular drink, director Oswald Green employed a simple research method: he visited pubs and asked people why they drank Guinness. The answer was invariably 'because it's good for you', and so the famous phrase was born. As the company's in-house illustrator and later art director, John Gilroy created Guinness's hallmark artwork. A Royal College of Art graduate, Gilroy went on to produce nearly 50 poster designs for Guinness over the next 35 years.
- Category:
- Printed Ephemera
- Object ID:
- 72.220/1
- Object name:
- Guinness for Strength
- Object type:
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- c.1934
- Material:
paper
- Measurements/duration:
- H 765 mm, L 506 mm
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
Diageo
- Image credit:
© Guiness Archive, Diageo Ireland
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.