History


Thursday’s ad is for the manufacturer Continental Can Company, from 1959, extolling the virtue of their can for beer. Showing an illustration of four seating men standing around an open refrigerator with a can of generic Light Beer in it, the company promises that “Continental has the right beer package for you!”

Continental-cans-1959

{ 1 comment }


Wednesday’s ad is a fairly recent one for the Chinese beer Tsingtao. It was created by artist Olly Howe. I love its rorschach-like quality and its amazing detail. It’s messy and organized at the same time.

olly-howe_tsingtao-beer-ad

{ 1 comment }


Tuesday’s ad is for Heineken. It looks like it’s from the 1960s or so, but it was definitely before 1991, when Heineken bought their importer, Van Munching & Co. One interesting thing I’m pretty sure isn’t on their neck label any more is the suggestion to “Serve at 45°-50° F.” Not sure about their claim of tasting “tremendous,” that’s not been my personal experience.

Heineken-tremendous

{ 3 comments }

Beer In Ads #606: The Neighbors

by Jay Brooks on May 14, 2012 · 2 comments

in Art & Beer,Beers


Monday’s ad is for Budweiser and I suspect it’s from the late 1960s or 70s, when the big breweries seemed to finally discover that not everybody was white. They’re still using the “Where There’s Bud … There’s Life” campaign. Also, check out the clasp on the back of the jeans worn by the man on the left. Does anybody remember jeans like that? I’m not exactly a fashion maven, but I don’t remember that particular trend. Do you?

Bud-neighbors

{ 2 comments }


Friday’s ad is for Goetz beer, from the M.K. Goetz Brewing Co. of St. Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri. It looks to be from the 1950s, especially with the look of the paneled den where the party is taking place. At least they’re opening the cans and pouring the beer into glassware.

Goetz-1950s

{ 0 comments }


Thursday’s ad is from Budweiser’s long-running “Where There’s Life” series. Showing a bashful woman hiding her face, barely, with a fan, as her beau pours her a glass of Budweiser.

Bud-fan

{ 0 comments }

Beer In Ads #603: Lowenbrau-Baienfurt

May 9, 2012

Wednesday’s ad is for Lowenbrau, from 1900, when everybody used artwork of a pretty gal to sell beer. I think it worked, Lowenbrau is still making beer.

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #602: The Only True Pilsner

May 8, 2012

Tuesday’s ad is also for Pilsner Urquell, which was run in France, based on the language. The ad copy, “La seule véritable bière importée de pilsen” translates as “The only true pilsner beer imported from” Pilsen. I love the excited look on the two gentlemen as they examine the bottle.

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #601: Sexy Pilsner Urquell

May 7, 2012

Monday’s ad is for Pilsner Urquell, from what looks like the 1940s or 50s. I certainly don’t recall Pilsner Urquell using that “P” logo with the barrel and gate symbol. But I love the classy pin-up art.

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #600: We’re With You All The Way

May 4, 2012

Friday’s ad is also for Hamm’s, showing their support for the local baseball team, the Minnesota Twins in 1961. It actually looks like the ad may have been on the back of a game program. Either way, the “Win! Twins! We’re with you all the way” rah-rah sentiment” was undoubtedly designed to foster brand loyalty.

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #599: For Those With A Flair For Good Living

May 3, 2012

Thursday’s ad is also for Budweiser, this one from just after Prohibition ended in 1933. Expressing the celebratory mood that prohibition was finally over, but that “Something More Than Beer Is Back,” hopefully not meaning just polo. No, what they’re trying to get across is that with beer’s return, it was now “For those with [...]

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #598: Fireplace Popcorn & Budweiser

May 2, 2012

Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from around the 1950s, part of their long-running “There’s nothing like it … absolutely nothing” campaign. The setting for this one is a couple making popcorn in their fireplace, fully dressed. I love the man’s smiling-with-a-pipe expression.

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #597: Hot Dogs & No Harsh Bitterness

May 1, 2012

Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1954. This one is also football-themed, with a man at the game, being poured two beers from cans to wash down the hot dogs, already in his hands, as his significant other waits with the blanket and a pennant in the background.

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #596: First Down. Five To Go

April 30, 2012

Monday’s ad is for Falstaff cans from, given the pull tabs on the cans, the mid-to-late 1960s. I assume this was a football play on words. It’s a simple, clean ad, almost unusual for that time. I also like the tagline at the bottom of the ad. “Beer after beer, the choicest product of the [...]

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #595: George Petty’s Beer Ad Paintings

April 27, 2012

Friday’s ad is the end of this week’s theme of Acme Beer and illustrator George Petty. These two works of art were most likely used in beer advertising, though exactly when and for which brewery is a mystery. Petty did a number of ads for Acme Beer, so that seems like the best guess, but [...]

Keep Reading →

Beer In Ads #594: Acme Non-Fattening

April 26, 2012

Thursday’s ad is still another one for Acme Beer, this one from their 1930s “Dietetically Non-Fattening” campaign, and this one was also done by famed pin-up artist George Petty. I’ve featured a painting of this ad before, but I recently found how it was used in an actual ad. I love the qualification on its [...]

Keep Reading →