Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from the 1951. Showing a couple wearing near-matching outfits, and certainly the exact same apron, with the man having constructed a gadget to do as little work as possible while the meat on the grill cooks. Check out his socks, and the white bucks. They never quite explain what the “Something more than Beer” might be, but apparently it’s “The Companion of Contentment.”
Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1949. It’s from their “There’s nothing like it …” series that ran for quite a long while. The ad copy, which begins “Your favorite partner, a delightful buffet …” seems quite odd, and possibly revealing. It continues. “Add foaming, babbling Budweiser and you have the finest sip-and-nibble combination ever known.” I don’t think they’re talking about the beer and food. I think they mean the predatory males hunting that poor woman just trying to have a bite to eat. Presumably they’re at a cocktail party at someone’s home. The person who gets a plate of food and retreats to the stairs is trying to be alone. But then these two circle her, blocking her escape route either up or down the stairs, each with a fresh beer in hand. The strained smile on her face and her posture — clasping her hands protectively around her skirt, unable to eat — seems to say ‘how long do I have to be polite before I can get away from these yahoos?’
Thursday’s ad is also for Budweiser, from 1956. Anheuser-Busch did a few of these ads, with a scene shown through a glass of beer. This one appears to be a musical rehearsal or party where the attendees are singing a lot. It uses the “Where there’s Life … there’s Budweiser” slogan that was popular in the Fifties, but I love the tagline at the bottom best of all. “Treat Yourself A Little Better….”
Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1951. With the tagline “Something more than Beer” followed by “… a mark of good taste,” a couple is apparently unwrapping wedding gifts. The expression on the woman’s face is priceless as she looks over a statue she’s just opened, while her new hubby arrives to rescue her with a tray of beers and snacks.
Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1953. With the curious tagline “When you know your beer it’s bound to be Bud.” Or at least at the weenie roast.
Tuesday’s ad features Budweiser from, probably, the 1950, wich I say for no better reason than the can shown in the ad predates the pull-tab, which debuted in 1962. Oddly enough, everyone on the small sailing ship whose hands can be seen is holding a beer bottle in one hand, meaning they’re all sailing one-handed, which I imagine is no easy task.
Monday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1967, and features Johnny Carson’s sidekick Ed McMahon. He’s look relatively normal in the foreground, a button-down man in a grey flannel suit, but the Budweiser suit he’s wearing in the ad behind him? Hiyoooo!
Tuesday’s ad, the first for 2013, is for Budweiser, from 1945, when World War 2 was at its end and optimism was running high. This one is also quite remarkable, and te text-heavy ad argues that the laboratories of Anheuser-Busch during the war have done great thinks to combat that other scourge of the age; malnutrition. The message is clear. Do your duty and drink Bud, so they can continue their nutritional research. Thank you A-B.
Monday’s ad is also for Budweiser, again from 1942. This one is quite remarkable, and uses corn syrup and the love of candy by children to make its case. Here’s the thinking. “To the great candy industry of America, corn syrup is a necessary ingredient. Used in other foods as well as candy, it contributes much to the energy and nutrition of the nation.” Thus, A-B’s “Corn Products Division” is as wonderful as their beer business. So drink Bud and “Help a Child’s Dream Cone True.”
Friday’s ad is another for Budweiser, also from 1942. This one is more of a history lesson equating “the story of bread,” which “may well be called The Story of Civilization.” From there it’s on to yeast, specifically baker’s yeast, for which A-B apparently was one of America’s biggest sources.
