One of the most famous UK advertising campaigns ever.

One of a series of posters, this one features a typical British fighter, something akin to a Spitfire or Hurricane, but here notable in that the roundels have been neatly transformed into eyes, fixed on the advertising subject Guinness.

Originally John Gilroy’s art featured a self-portrait of himself as a zookeeper, nearly losing his Guinness to what soon became an ever lengthening array of determined zoo animals. The advent of the Second World War meant a new angle, featuring war workers rescuing their Guinnesses from other foragers, here including a fighter pilot and his aeroplane, here a Royal Air Force groundcrewman!

We’ll be returning to the roundel story several more times, but what a great place to start!

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.

Poster widely reproduced, found here on an Onslow auctioneer’s 2018 online catalogue.