throughout the victorian period, and into the twentieth century, mcewan's drew heavily from imagery of the british empire in its branding. the laughing cavalier mascot was introduced to the mcewan's brand in the 1930s. based on the well-known frans hals painting, it has been used extensively in advertisements and branding ever since. during the 1960s, and 1970s, mcewan's was advertised as "the best buy in beer".