The genius concept Guinness ad we don’t want to love (but really do)

The world, right now, faces a huge amount of uncertainty, which we are all feeling the effects of in one way or another. But despite this time of crisis, artists and designers are harnessing their talents to help spread positivity and powerful messages to all. And this latest offering is one of the best we've seen so far. 

Created by copywriter Luke O'Reilly, this concept Guinness ad is being praised online for its simple perfection. The ingenious design uses a trend we've seen pop up a lot recently, invisible branding. The clever technique sees well-known images replaced with perfectly placed objects to create an optical illusion, whereby your brain has to fill in the gaps (see our round-up of negative space art for more optical illusion inspiration). 

In this case, the iconic pint of Guinness' foam head has been substituted with a sofa, in it's signature creamy colour, of course. The middle is stamped with the the old Guinness logo and harp icon, and a simple, well-positioned 'Stay at home' message at the bottom provides all your brain needs to complete the image.

O'Reilly created the clever image as part of a One Minute Brief project, and the creative community is giving it a resounding thumbs up. Although not everyone is comfortable, including us, on the developing crisis being used as a subject for marketing campaigns. Twitter user Mark Gallo said: "Even though I share the opinion that brands should lay low with Coronavirus marketing – this is my favourite ad/message."

And we have to agree. But credit where it's due, the creativity on display here is undeniable, and the concept executed perfectly – the lack of gimmicks make it feel poignant but not inappropriate. A striking visual, it reiterates the simple message being heard across the world right now, all the while staying true to the brand. 

Thankfully, we've not seen many brands use the coronavirus for marketing purposes, but we like to hope for any that might be planning to that they'd exercise the same amount of respect and integrity shown here.  

If you're in need of even more inspiration, or a little bit of support, don't miss our round up of free online resources being offered during the Covid-19 outbreak. There's free software, art lessons, books, read-alongs and much more to help you navigate this difficult time. 

Read more:

• 5 brands so strong they don't need a logo
• 6 magnificently minimal logos
• Iconic logos reimagined for the age of coronavirus