Guinness & John Gilroy

One way in which brickads are revealed is when an adjoining building is demolished. The standard of preservation in these cases is often emaculate, as the sign has been protected from the elements and sandblasters.  This example from Cardiff in the long running Guinness campaign is in fantastic condition and the question is whether it will survive what seems to be large scale building work going on nearby. The photo is by damagedron.

This classic era of Guinness advertising, recently ressurected, was built around the illustrations and designs of John Gilroy, then working on behalf of Benson’s advertising agency. The History of Advertising Trust held an exhibition of his work in 1998 called “Gilroy is Good for You!“. They still hold a comprehensive archive but this is the first time I’ve seen evidence of his work in the painted brickad format.

Some discussion of the sign can be found here.