“KIRIN LAGER BEER × HARRISON FORD” (1994–1995) – ORIGINAL JAPANESE B2 ADVERTISING POSTER – “MR. BEER” CAMPAIGN (CROCODILE TOY VARIANT / STORE-USE / 非売品)
Extremely Rare | In‑Store Display (Not for Sale) | Mid‑’90s Issue 1994–1995 | 51 × 73 cm (B2)
This is an original Japanese B2 promotional poster from Kirin Lager Beer’s legendary mid-’90s “Mr. Beer” campaign featuring Harrison Ford—and widely regarded as one of the best variants from the entire series. Here, Ford raises a Kirin Lager can while holding an oversized green inflatable crocodile toy, creating a perfectly deadpan, Japan-only visual that is instantly collectible. Issued in the 1994–1995 campaign window, it survives today in excellent condition with only minor, honest signs of prior display.
Japan‑only design & credit
This is a Japan‑exclusive, store‑use (非売品) promotional sheet—distributed to retailers for display and not sold to the public. As with many ’90s in‑store POP posters, specific agency/photographer credits are not printed on the sheet, which is typical for display materials intended for short retail runs.
Poster design (what you see here)
A crisp studio-white background, sharp product emphasis, and oversized black headline typography make this a quintessential Kirin retail poster. The main copy reads:
「キリンラガービール、ください。」 (“Kirin Lager Beer, please.”)
Ford is pictured holding a chilled Kirin Lager can, while the dominant visual hook is the bright green crocodile toy—graphic, playful, and unmistakable—set against Ford’s serious, composed expression.
At bottom right, the pack-shot shows the 350 ml can alongside the signature bottle, with the campaign line:
「ミスター・ビール。キリンラガービール」 (“Mr. Beer. Kirin Lager Beer.”)
The bottom legal line reads:
「ビールは、20歳になってから。あきかんは、リサイクルへ。」 (“Beer is for age 20+; please recycle cans.”)
Beer & celebrity in Japan
Kirin Lager is one of Japan’s most established lager brands, and celebrity endorsements—especially in beverages—have long been a cornerstone of Japanese advertising. The Harrison Ford “Mr. Beer” era remains a high point: minimalist, high-impact, and instantly readable—often featuring an unexpected prop that makes each poster variant feel distinct and collectible.
About the B2 format (size & rarity)
Japanese advertising posters commonly use B2 size (51 × 73 cm / approx. 20.1 × 28.7 in). In‑store brewery posters were typically printed for short display windows, handled heavily, and discarded—so clean originals are genuinely hard to find decades later.
Why this example is extraordinary (rarity & market)
Most surviving ’90s beer POP shows tape marks, tearing, fold lines, staining, or heavy handling. This crocodile-toy variant is especially desirable because it’s a perfect “only-in-Japan” concept—deadpan Harrison Ford + bold inflatable crocodile + classic Kirin pack-shot—while still keeping the clean, graphic layout collectors want on the wall.
Condition
Excellent overall condition. Previously displayed: a tiny pinhole in each corner and a tiny tear (see the close-up images provided). Aside from these minor display signs, the poster presents very cleanly with strong colour and a tidy image area for a mid-’90s store-use original.
It is over 30 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
A rare, nostalgia-rich Kirin Lager “Mr. Beer” Japanese B2 poster—an authentic store-use (非売品) original with unforgettable presence: Harrison Ford, the iconic Kirin pack-shot, and the brilliantly odd inflatable crocodile toy in excellent surviving condition for a true mid-’90s retail display piece.
