Wednesday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1929. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is titled “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” and features a re-written poem all about eating oysters with Guinness to wash them down. I’ve always been a little creeped out by food that wants to be eaten. It’s a persistent theme in advertising, but if you ever stop to think about what they’re advocating, it’s pretty horrible.
Archives for December 2017
Beer In Ads #2488: Mushroom Growth
Tuesday’s ad is for Guinness, from the 1950s. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is titled “Mushroom Growth,” and features a story about Alice talking to a caterpillar who drinks Guinness to grow stronger, but Alice concludes she doesn’t have to grow barley and hops, since the people at Guinness already do that and all she has to do is drink their beer.
California Brewery Count Hits 900
Today the California Craft Brewers Association announced another milestone in California breweries has been reached. There are now 900 breweries in the Golden State, which means that over 9 out of 10 California resident now lives within 10 miles of a brewery.
Here’s the press release:
“The craft beer industry has tripled over the last five years, up from 300 breweries in 2012 to just over 900 breweries in operation today, according to data released by the nonprofit trade association representing the industry, the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA). California is home to more craft breweries than any state in the nation, with nearly 92 percent of the state’s 39.5 million residents living within 10 miles of a brewery.
’11 percent of the craft brewing industry’s total $67.8 billion economic impact comes from California,’ said Bart Watson, Chief Economist at the Brewers Association. ‘These data highlight the powerful economic impact craft brewers have in California and across the nation.’
According to the CCBA report, the total economic impact of craft breweries in California exceeds $7.3 billion. This figure is derived from the total impact of beer brewed by craft brewers as it moves from breweries to distributors to retailers as well as non-beer merchandise sold at breweries and tasting rooms.
By the Numbers:
- Craft breweries in California supported nearly 50,000 full-time jobs with an average wage of $55,000 a year.
- California’s craft breweries paid $1.49 billion in taxes in 2016, including $868 million in state and local taxes and $617 million in federal taxes.
- California’s craft breweries produced 3,295,221 barrels of beer in 2016. Breweries exported 1.17 million barrels, which is greater than the total craft production in all but five states in the nation.
- The number of licensed breweries grew by more than 100 in the last year – more than any state in the country and an increase that was greater than the total licensed number of breweries in 34 states.
‘The positive impact of craft breweries on the state of California goes far beyond just the benefits of tax revenue, manufacturing jobs and tourism,’ said CCBA executive director, Tom McCormick. ‘Craft breweries also have a tangible influence on the growth and development of their region, investing in their community, employing their neighbors and supporting local nonprofits. Craft breweries are the living room, the town hall and the gathering place for their community.’”
Beer In Ads #2487: A Mad Lunch Party
Monday’s ad is for Guinness, from the 1950s. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is titled “A Mad Lunch Party,” and features a story about Alice, the Mad Hatter and the white rabbit trying to figure out how to have a lunch party and get some more Guinness.
Beer In Ads #2486: Alice Studies Natural History
Sunday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1952. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is titled “Alice Studies Natural History,” and features a Carroll-esque story about a tiny Alice conversing with the red queen about science … and Guinness.
Beer In Ads #2485: ‘Tis The Choice Of The Gourmet
Saturday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1952. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland begins “‘Tis The Choice of the Gourmet,” and features a Carroll-esque poem about how good beer, and especially Guinness, goes with a variety of gourmet foods.
Beer In Ads #2484: Alice In Snowmansland Again
Friday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1948. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is entitled “Alice in Snowmansland,” and features a short story about a glass of Guinness, Alice, the Mad Hatter and a snowman, but has a different illustration from one I shared a few days ago from the 1950s.
Beer In Ads #2483: Guinness In Another Festival Land
Thursday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1951. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is entitled “Guinness In Festival Land,” which is the same title as a different ad with a giant clock from the same year, 1951. That’s because the Festival of Britain took place in several locations, although the main area was South Bank Exhibition, which included the Dome of Discovery, which is alluded to in the ad. There’s also more about the festival at the blog A London Inheritance. The poster was done by British illustrator Eric Fraser.
Beer In Ads #2482: Bottle And Jug
Wednesday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1954. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is entitled “Bottle and Jug,” and the Mad Hatter is apparently a Guinness thief, or will be in the future. The Carroll-esque story is eerily similar to the Philip K. Dick story “Minority Report,” which was about stopping future crime, or precrime, before it happened. But the Guinness ad ran two years before Dick’s story was published in 1956. Maybe this was his inspiration for the story?
Beer In Ads #2481: Alice In Posterland
Tuesday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1952. While the best known Guinness ads were undoubtedly the ones created by John Gilroy, Guinness had other creative ads throughout the same period and afterward, too, which are often overlooked. This ad, one of many that used Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is entitled “Alice In Posterland,” and Alice is perched above a large aviary cage full of birds while the Guinness zookeeper is being chased around it while he holds a bottle of Guinness and a full glass. The illustration was done by Antony Groves-Raines.