"Beer Pressure"

6 February 2026

40s

It never rains, but it pours.

This Guinness spot reminds us of a 'Fast Show' sketch where Indecisive Dave has no idea what to order a pint of. He almost suffers a mental breakdown as a result—the man in director Chris Balmond's commercial is nowhere near as bad as Dave, but still struggles when asked: "Same again?" It's not just his friends who want an answer, but the whole pub, too.

Punter by punter, table by table, stool by stool, the sound of 'Under Pressure' by David Bowie and Queen starts to fill the joint. Crisp packets are opened in ominous unison, while the band in the corner seems more intense than usual. As the literal walls start to close in and crack under the strain, the guy shushes the crowd and says: "I'll have a Guinness 0.0."

The respectful murmur that follows is a lovely touch, and it's what an absence of "beer pressure" should sound like. If sensible Guinness is not to your taste, there are nods to the brand's more exaggerated past (note the picture of a vintage weightlifter that screams "Guinness for strength").

UK

Porters & Stouts