Rutger Hauer died Monday at the age of 75 after a film and television career that included roles in the original “Blade Runner,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Batman Begins” and “Escape from Sobibor,” for which he won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.
Throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, in addition to his notable cinematic roles, Hauer also appeared in a few TV commercials, often to hock Guinness beer, in more than a dozen ads that range from funny to thoughtful to dramatic to downright bizarre as part of the Irish brewer’s long-running “Pure Genius” campaign.
In recognition of his contributions to late 20th century beer marketing, Ad Age has sifted through a heap of vintage Guinness ads to identify and rank Hauer’s top eight spots: