Part 4/9:
The tragic assassination of Ross McWhirter in 1975 marked a seismic shift for the brand. Following this loss, Norris became vocal in his anti-terror political activism, while the Guinness World Records continued to expand. However, as the 1990s rolled in, corporate interests began to supersede the foundational values of the record-keeping entity.
By then, Guinness had evolved from a mere marketing concept to an institution perceived as the ultimate arbiter of world records. With this newfound status came the opportunity for significant profit. Records became increasingly commercialized, with Guinness testing the limits of what people would do in hopes of attaining notoriety.