Tuesday’s ad is for the C.L. Centlivre Brewing Co. of Fort Wayne, Indiana, from around 1880. It’s another one of those wonderful illustrations of the industrial magnificence that old breweries used to do back in the 19th century. It was done by the Henderson Lithographing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Monday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from the 1950s, I believe. To the question “Is This Something Special?” a couple of men sitting on a sofa at a dinner party, the other answers. “It certainly is … that’s Ballantine Ale.” I sure miss dressing up every time a few friends come over for a beer. Oh, wait. That never happened. But that would be special, wouldn’t it.
Friday’s ad is for Knickerbocker beer, from 1953. It’s number 5 in a series, although I’ve only seen two of them so far, and I don’t know how many are in the series of ads. The ones I’ve seen depict scenes from the history of New York. This fifth one is about the Christening of Kip’s Bay, and the art for the ad was painted by Lumen Martin Winter. “Kips Bay was an inlet of the East River running from what is now 32nd Street to 37th Street.” According to Wikipedia:
Kips Bay was the site of the Landing at Kip’s Bay (September 15, 1776), an episode of the American Revolutionary War and part of the New York and New Jersey campaign. About 4,000 British Army troops under General William Howe landed at Kips Bay on September 15, 1776, near what is now the foot of East 33rd Street. Howe’s forces defeated about 500 American militiamen commanded by Colonel William Douglas. The American forces immediately retreated and the British occupied New York City soon afterward.
Thursday’s ad is for Genesee beer, from around the late 1969s or 70s. Showing a couple fishing while perched on a pier, with a Genesee cooler between them. The Geneseecret is apparently is “The Good Time Taste of Genesee Beer.” They don’t even appear to be paying any attention whatsoever to their fishing.
Wednesday’s ad is another one for Falstaff, probably from the 1950s or early 60s. Showing a trio of people fishing in front of a backdrop of a wall of beer, the tagline is “There’s Light-hearted Living in Light-hearted Falstaff.” I have no idea what the even means, though in the ad copy they begin with “Alive with taste,” yet another inscrutably meaningless phrase.
Tuesday’s ad is for Falstaff, from the 1970s. It’s part of Falstaff’s Gabe and Walker ads, this one a cartoonized version of a photo ad. The two spokesmen stopped to help a pair of gals change a flat tire, though only one of the does the work while the other merely puts the moves on the women. I’m sure drinking the cans of beer is helping.
Monday’s ad is for Falstaff, from 1960. With the curious tagline “Barbecue-In,” I guess the idea is that they’re grilling the meat inside, rather than having a backyard barbecue. I can’t tell of the snowy background is the actual outdoors behind them or if that’s a faux wallpaper meant to look like it.
Friday’s ad is yet another one for Falstaff, and is a third one by the well-known illustrator J.F. Kernan. This one shows another trio of men, and a dog, on a fishing and camping trip on the bank of a river. One of the men appears to be telling a story about the size of the fish that he almost caught.
Thursday’s ad is another one for Falstaff, and is also by the well-known illustrator J.F. Kernan. This one shows a trio of men fishing from a boat in a river. It looks like one of the guys just hooked a big one, but looks none too sure of his ability to reel him in.
Here’s an interesting, if long, commercial for Kirin beer that features some famous martial artists. I have no idea what’s going on for most of the three-minute video, or why they count to 39 throughout the story. Luckily, you don’t have to understand it to enjoy it.