Guinness brings vintage advertising art to Vancouver's streets with animal-themed murals
Playful murals featuring John Gilroy's classic characters—pint-balancing toucans and lobsters—are appearing on the seawall and in Gastown as part of a Canada-wide campaign.
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Vancouver's streets and landmarks are hosting a dose of mid-century advertising whimsy this month, courtesy of a global beer brand revisiting its most famous creative legacy.
Guinness is bringing its Lovely Day Canada campaign to Vancouver with public murals featuring the playful animal illustrations of artist John Gilroy, whose hand-drawn characters first appeared in Guinness advertisements during the 1930s. Nearly a century later, those vintage characters—famous for balancing pints with improbable grace—are now reimagined against Vancouver's mountains, waterfront, and historic streets.
One mural on the Stanley Park seawall depicts two bright red lobsters, each holding a pint in its claw, with the Lions Gate Bridge and North Shore mountains stretching across Burrard Inlet behind them. Another takes over a prime Gastown location: a toucan balances a pint on its beak while perched above the famous Steam Clock, with more pint-carrying birds soaring past the neighbourhood's brick buildings.
Gilroy's menagerie earned a lasting place in advertising history, becoming recognized worldwide. One of his most famous admirers was Julia Child, who was named the organization's first Grande Dame in 1977—an honour recognizing women who made extraordinary contributions to food, beverage and related fields. Child remained an enthusiastic supporter of the work mentoring women in culinary careers.
The Vancouver murals capture two distinct sides of the city: the outdoorsy waterfront and the historic downtown, both filtered through Gilroy's offbeat imagination. The campaign invites locals to spot the artworks, photograph them, and share discoveries on social media.
Adults of legal drinking age can wind down over a Guinness or Guinness 0.0 after exploring the city's unexpected new public art.
The details
What murals are featured in Vancouver as part of this campaign?
One mural on the Stanley Park seawall shows two red lobsters each holding a pint, with the Lions Gate Bridge and North Shore mountains in the background. Another in Gastown depicts a toucan balancing a pint on its beak above the Steam Clock, with more pint-carrying birds nearby.
Who created the original animal characters used in these murals?
Artist John Gilroy created the characters in the 1930s for Guinness advertisements. His hand-drawn illustrations of animals balancing pints have become iconic in advertising history.
What is the name of this Guinness campaign?
The campaign is called 'Lovely Day Canada' and features public murals across the country with Gilroy's vintage animal characters.
