Josh’s European Culture Trip: Part 3

Alright, so you may have seen through my thin façade of a ‘culture-driven’ trip to Europe. The fact I involved myself at the bar more often then I’ve been letting on may not surprise you but the fact that I absorbed elements of branding might.

During my travels to Amsterdam and Dublin I checked out the Heineken and Guinness Breweries to indulge in their respective guided tours. Ok, I’m not fooling anybody – I went to sample the beer with a smattering of history thrown in to make me feel less guilty.

However, on top of the self-gloating, history on hops and wheat, beer tasting and subsequent trips to the bathroom there were also large sections on ‘beer branding’ and how effective advertising played a major role in where they are today.

Each had their branding history set out in chronological order and despite both labels evolving a long way from their modest beginnings it was clear that both took their advertising seriously right from the start.