This is a small 1981 framed poster released just four years before John Gilroy's passing. This is "Ostrich" from 1936. It shows a surprised Guinness zookeeper alarmed that the ostrich has swallowed his pint of Guinness with the tag line, "My Goodness, My Guinness" These were released framed, but either this has been removed or it was an extra from the production process. Artist: John Gilroy 1936 Printed by: James Blackmore Ltd Dimensions: 12 in x 8.5 in (30 cm x 21 cm) Condition: some light aging, see photos.
John Gilroy was an English artist and illustrator, best known for his advertising posters for Guinness, the Irish stout. He signed many of his works, simply, "Gilroy". In 1925, he gained employment at S.H. Benson's advertising agency, where he created the iconic advertisement art for Guinness featuring the Zoo Keeper and animals enjoying Guinness. He was awarded and Honorary MA by Newcastle University in 1975, and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1981.
In the 1920s Guinness had a problem. The venerable Irish brewer had been around since 1759—nearly two centuries—but geopolitical events were threatening to render its sales flat. Irish independence had leveled a new import tax on England-bound barrels. Add this to the near total loss of a prohibition-era U.S. market and things were not looking good for the sultan of stout. Guinness needed a marketing strategy—a relatively new concept at a time when legacy brands saw advertising as desperately uncouth. The in-house tagline “Guinness is good for you” was born in 1929 (the first of many touting the beer’s health benefits) but it wasn’t until Guinness tapped London creative agency S.H. Benson that the brand’s first legendary ad campaign would begin. Illustrator John Gilroy was given the account.
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