Saturday’s ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1945, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook just as World War 2 was ending, after their “Morale is a Lot of Little Things” series. They were also a precursor to the “Home Life in America” series that was numbered (and which I’ve featured before), and very similar. Each ad featured an original illustration or work of art by prominent artists of the time, along with the first use of the “Beer Belongs…enjoy it!” tagline. It’s also when the UBIF started using “America’s Beverage of Moderation” in their advertising.
In this ad, entitled “Saturday Afternoon at Sportsman’s Park,” the scene is from high up in the stands at a baseball game. While the game is going on far below, a beer salesman is in view bringing welcome refreshment. The painting was done by Edward Laning, who “was an American painter” from Petersburg, Illinois.
