Why is the toucan associated with the Guinness logo?

Beer drinkers are used to seeing eye-catching beer labels — some good, some not so good. But stroll past a beer fridge and you might see a label that's simple, nostalgic, and a throwback to the 1930s: the Guinness toucan. The toucan goes back to 1935 and the advertising firm S.H. Benson. read more

Lucky for Guinness, the advertising firm had just hired John Gilroy as a poster designer. Gilroy recounted that the Guinness family sought to avoid a campaign specifically about beer. They thought that would be vulgar, and they wanted to highlight the purported health benefits of the beer. read more

the bird into a Toucan, with a pun in mind for the ad. The pun was: "If a Guinness a day is good for you, imagine what Toucan (two can) do!" The ad just took a life of it's own and since then the Toucan has become an Icon for Guinness. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. read more

Although Guinness left S.H. Benson for another advertising firm in 1982 and officially dropped the toucan as its symbol, the toucan posters and memorabilia are still produced. Although the animal posters are still beloved, the toucan became the most enduring and featured in the most ads. read more