Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1905. In the first decade of the 20th century, Schlitz Brewing, then one of the largest breweries in the U.S. after the industry had shrunk from over 4,000 to around 1,500 in just 25 or so years, did a series of primarily text ads, with various themes. In this ad, Schlitz is trying to persuade their customers that buying their beer at the same price as other beers that is like getting Schlitz for half-price. Because “the cost of purity exceeds the cost of brewing.” In other words, it’s still nice at twice the price. Now that’s value.
