Friday’s ad is entitled Summer Picnic, and the illustration was done in 1954 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #97 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, two couples go on a summer picnic. The women pack the food, and the men bring beer. They take a boat to a secluded spot, where food and beer is consumed, photos taken, and fun day is had by all. Then back to civilization they go at sunset. Looks like a nice day, although overall I don’t like these multi-panel cartoons nearly as much as the single panel ads. There’s something about conveying a story in a single image, leaving more to the imagination and more reliant on subtle clues that appeals to me.
