🍺Murphy's,
brewed in Cork, Ireland, is Guinness'
lesser known counterpart.
🍺It has an
intriguing history, especially how it
came to be popularised through
advertisements featuring the famous
wrestler Eugen Sandow.
🍺Sandow wasn't the most enthusiastic of
celebrity endorsers to begin with, but his
association with Murphy's proved a lasting
one.
🍺🍺🍺
AT
PUBS the world over — and
even in its home country of Ireland —
asking for a pint of Guinness is
unlikely to earn you any odd looks. It
is the most popular stout brand after
all, and its name is almost synonymous
with the dark, creamy and caramel-y
brew.
But if you
happen to be visiting Cork, then you'd
be better served asking for a glass of
Murphy's. Murphy's is the second
best-known Irish stout, but its fans
will tell you that it's second to none
in terms of taste. It is frequently
described as being less bitter and far
more smoother than Guinness; quite
still, but with a remarkably good head
of foam. It's ABV value is just a shade
under Guinness', at 4%.
Started by a
Cork philanthropist and banker, James
Murphy, in 1856, the stout brand was
acquired by Heineken in the 1980s. This
allowed the much loved local brew to
find an audience outside Cork. But even
before that, it was winning laurels for
itself, thanks in no small part to its
savvy advertising.
In 1893, Eugen
Sandon, now known as the father of
modern bodybuilding and a then a
wrestler on the cusp of transatlantic
fame, had stopped over in Cork while on
his way to New York. Waiting for his
ship to sail, Sandon walked the main
streets of Cork, figuring he'd perform a
few feats of strength to pick up spare
cash for the voyage. He did his usual
repertoire before an appreciative crowd,
saving his best for last: lifting a
fully-grown horse over his head, with
one hand.
Sandon proved
to be quite the sensation and people
were still talking about him after his
departure from Cork. Sensing an
opportunity, Murphy's released an
advertisement that showed Sandon
performing his now legendary feat with a
slogan that boldly proclaimed: "Murphy's
Stout Gives Strength".
The
advertisement proved wildly popular but
there was a small storm ahead for
Murphy's. It turned out that the
likeness of Sandon they had purchased
for using in their poster were from a
third party. Sandon himself had not
provided permission nor been paid. He
sued Murphy's, earning a settlement from
the brewery even as he struck a separate
deal with them to sell rights to his
pictures. After this hiccough, things
proceeded smoothly with Sandon —
ironically enough, not much of a
drinker, since he preferred to keep away
from "anything intoxicating, confining
[himself] mostly to beer and light
wines" — becoming quite the brand
ambassador for Murphy's stout.
The epilogue
to this story comes with Guinness. Over
the 1930s and '40s, they released an
advertisement that copied Murphy's
concept quite closely, substituting
Sandon with a worker archetype carrying
a heavy iron beam over his shoulder as
if it were as light as the foam atop a
pint of stout. They used a similar
slogan as well. But at least in
advertising, Murphy's would prove to
have a head start on its home country
rival. In 1995, a Murphy's commercial,
featuring a group of samurai
racing to get to a glass of
stout, proved iconic and is
counted among the greatest TV ad films
of all time.
🍺🍺🍺
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