Jay R. Brooks on Beer
Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1957. Given we’re in the middle of the all-star break, I figured a “7th Inning Schlitzerstretch” might be in order. It’s subtitled “How Cheering Raises A Schlitzthirst.” I confess I love the Schlitzerland ad campaign, especially the illustrations. “Be a Schlitzer.” Wouldn’t you like to be a Schlitzer, too?
Wednesday’s ad is for Knickerbocker Beer, from 1952. It’s hard to believe that even in 1952 you could advertise a beer with guy that looked like such a dandy. Not to mention the beer was “Extra light … frosty-dry … less ‘filling,’ too!” What exactly is “frosty-dry?”
Tuesday’s ad is for Stroh’s, from 1971. Showing a returnable case of bottles of Stroh’s Bohemian Style Beer, the ad is pretty simple. I’m not exactly sure what they mean by “Our take-home pack for real beer lovers,” unless only true beer lover would buy beer by the case.
Monday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1952, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Anne Hogan. In this ad, she’s got a rake over her shoulder while wearing fall colors. Though there’s a leaf stuck to the rake and full wire basket of leaves in the background to the left, she looks too neat and unwrinkled to have done a lick of work. Apart from “here, hold this rake,” of course.
Sunday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1963, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Loretta Rissell. In this ad, she’s dancing aboard the S.S. Lurline wearing a strapless green dress. Her partner is either a Naval officer or someone dressed in all white wearing an apron, I can’t quite tell which it is.
Saturday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1962, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Kathy Kersh. In this ad, she’s helping out at the fire station as the boys are cleaning the trucks. She appears to be ducking bursts of water from firemen’s hoses, but she’s wearing a raincoat, so she must have at least been expecting it. In the text it says that two words are “on the tip of everyone’s tongue.” Those two words? “Extra Dry.” Of course, I hear everyone saying that all that time, even today. Um, so then what’s with all the wet water?
Friday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1958, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Madelyn Darrow. In this ad, she’s on a camping, fishing and canoeing trip, though she’s apparently not doing much of the heavy lifting, as a strapping young man is carrying the canoe for her. No wonder she’s smiling. But take a closer look at his expression. No smiles there.
Tuesday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1958, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Madelyn Darrow. In this ad, she’s on the bow of a fireboat, at sea, possibly in New York Harbor, as behind her you can make out a shower of water undoubtedly from other fireboats. It suggests that they’re putting on some kind of water show, although I’m not sure why her own boat’s water gun is silent, though at least one writer thinks it was a clever way to sneak sex into the ad with such a phallic image, although in Sex in Advertising: 10 Strangely Sexual Booze Ads from the 1940 – 50s he surprisingly fails to mention what the spray imagery might represent. Any ideas?
Tuesday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1947, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Michaele Fallon. In this ad, she’s just squeezed off a few rounds of target practice, dressed in a green suit and matching beret that would have made Robin Hood proud. And her shooting wasn’t half bad, either, putting all of her shots in the black center portion of the target.
Tuesday’s ad is for Schaefer Beer, from 1961, and features actor Basil Rathbone, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in numerous films. Apparently, according to Rathbone, Schaefer was “the Finest beer I ever tasted!”
