Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1906. 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 suggesting that if you’d visited their brewery and seen just how clean it was that you’d always order “Schlitz beer” to make sure you weren’t inadvertently served a “common beer.” But even if you do, make sure that the cork or crown is branded. Man, those were some unscrupulous times.
