Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #2330: Morale, Just A Letter From The Folks

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Friday’s ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1942, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, “there’s Bill reading that letter again.” In most of these ads, they talk about writing letters, which must seem odd to a generation who never writes letter at all; texts, e-mail, etc. but the thrill of getting and reading a handwritten letter in the mailbox is lost today. I can’t remember the last time I wrote a personal letter, either, so it’s me as well. But I do miss them a bit. Sometimes I think not all progress has been for the better. And I imagine a letter from your folks while hundreds of miles away, fighting in a war, which be a pretty meaningful letter, with or without a “cool, refreshing glass of beer.”

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Beer In Ads #2329: Morale, We’ll Have To Go Hunting Again

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Thursday’s ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1944, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, a Marine is writing a letter home, reminiscing about the many little things he’s missing, and especially his family’s hunting trips, not to mention a “refreshing glass of beer.”

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Beer In Ads #2328: Morale, Buttonhole Flower

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Wednesday’s Independence Day ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1942, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, a man is having a so-so day until a woman sells him a flower for the buttonhole in his jacket. And that perked him right up, a little thing, but it keeps you smiling, just like a “refreshing glass of beer.”

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Beer In Ads #2327: Morale, Boy Did Those Grilled Steaks Used To Taste Swell

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Tuesday’s Independence Day ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1944, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, a Navy man is writing a letter home, reminiscing about how good those grilled steaks used to taste, along with a “refreshing glass of beer,” and lots of other little things that that help improve his morale.

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Beer In Ads #2326: Morale, You’ll Never Understand

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Monday’s ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1944, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, they try to explain how much a woman’s hair permanent means to her. But it’s just one more small thing that “lift the courage … warm the heart … boost morale.” Just like the “right to enjoy a refreshing glass of beer.”

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Beer In Ads #2325: Morale, I Can See My Hammock Now

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Sunday’s ad is by the Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1944, part of a series of ads the beer industry undertook during World War 2 under the title “Morale is a Lot of Little Things.” It was one of the first concerted efforts by the brewing industry after they were getting back on their feet after prohibition finally ended around a decade before. The series tried to show support for the troops and help with morale at home. And it must have worked, because the campaign won awards at the time. In this ad, a Navy man is writing a letter home, reminiscing about his hammock “hanging in the orchard” and lots of other little things that that help improve his morale.

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Beer In Ads #2323: Carling’s Nine Pints Of The Law

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Friday’s ad is for Carling, from sometime between the early 1900s and the 1950s, sources vary. The ad, or ads, use an illustration entitled “Nine Pints of the Law,” by English artist Lawson Wood. It’s an obvious play on the legal term “nine points of the law,” or more fully “possession is nine points in the Law,” which was apparently a common saying, forst appearing in 1616 by Thomas Draxe, in Adages 163.

One print from the 1940s has text on the back that claims it was “Based On An Original Photograph Taken At Carlings Brewery, London, Ontario – 1881,” although the artist would have been only three at the time. Of course, he could have painted this from the photograph when he was olders. Another sources claims it was created in the early 1900s, and Wood started working as a commercial illustrator at last by 1896, so the timeing works. Other sources give various decades, such as the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s, although it seems likely that Carling continued to use the painting in ads for many decades. Below are several different uses of the artwork in Carling advertising, though I’m uncertain of the exact date of any of them, apart from most likely the first half of the 20th century.

Here’s a simple poster framing the art, with just the brewery name, “Carling’s” below the picture.

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This green poster is for Carling’s Red Cap Ale.

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And so is this one, but with a white background.

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And this tray appears to be from a little later.

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Beer In Ads #2322: Better Than Beer?

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Thursday’s ad is for Carling’s Red Cap Ale, from 1952. In this ad, showing a couple on a sailboat with the usual arrangement of a red cap and a glass of beer with a bottle of Red Cap Ale. Then there’s that headline. What’s better than beer? Why ale, of course, specifically light-hearted ale, whatever that means.

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Beer In Ads #2321: We Tip Our Red Cap To America’s Taverns …

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Wednesday’s ad is for Carling’s Red Cap Ale, from 1959. In this ad, showing an icy outdoor scene with a red cap, along with a mug of beer and a bottle of Red Cap Ale. But it’s again the tagline that stands out: “We Tip Our Red Cap To America’s Taverns….” Although they actually have a red crown, or bottle cap, with Red Cap pronted on it. At least I understand what they’re getting at in this ad, panderng to American bars and asking people to order their beer when they visit one.

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Beer In Ads #2320: How To Win Friends And Affluent People

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Tuesday’s ad is for Carling’s Red Cap Ale, from 1960. In this ad, showing an iron gate with a red cap, along with a mug of beer and a bottle of Red Cap Ale. But it’s again the tagline that stands out: “How to Win Friends and Affluent People.” I’m not even quite sure what they mean by that. It’s similar to Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” but changes the last part to “affluent.” The text offers no answers, so it’s not really clear what they were after.

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