Saturday’s ad is for Hackerbrau, from the 1920s. Hacker used to be one of the big Munich breweries but merged with Pschorrbräu in 1972 to become the Hacker-Pschorr Brewery. This ad has a decidedly travel adventure in Africa feel to it, and looks like the artistic poster art of that time period.
Friday’s ad is for Guinness, from the 1950s or possibly early 60s. It’s a very minimalist ad, but I love how animated the artist made the “G” and how much it conveys with just a few black lines.
Thursday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1961. After the Sochi Olympics, a little skiing just made sense. This was, I believe, before Miller started using the Tetra hop that is resistant to getting lightstruck. So who knows how this beer would have tasted coming off the slopes.
Wednesday’s ad is for Coors, from 1970. This is from the time when Coors was still only sold in the Western states, and as a result enjoyed a certain cult status in the East. I remember they had a lot of these minimalist ads, beauty shots, showing simply the Rocky Mountains, a stream of Rocky Mountain Spring Water, and a glass of beer. BUt is it just me, or does that pilsner glass have some odd bumps on it?
Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1959. One of their “Know the Joy of Good Living” ads, this one features a couple skiing — is that cross country skiing? — wearing what looks like it may be matching outfits, at least based on a red sleeve. One of them is holding up a glass of beer, and all we can see is a white glove and a sleeve of red. But the bigger question is how did they get a glass of beer and pour it in the middle of Rocky Mountain nowhere? Or is the lodge right behind our view and they haven’t even left yet, or done anything to deserve a beer break yet?
Monday’s ad is for the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1941. This is one of a series of pro-industry ads that the brewer’s trade group engaged in post-prohibition to show the brewing industry in a positive light. This one shows an older farmer resting after, presumably, a long day in the fields tending to the crops. His wife, however, is still hard at work pouring him a beer. I guess it’s not yet the end of the work-day for her.
Sunday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1946. From A-B’s “Great Contributions To Taste” series, this one features Luther Burbank, the “American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science.” Although born in Massachusetts, he settled in nearby Santa Rosa, California and you can see his name everywhere here in Sonoma. Although he created over “800 strains and varieties of plants” he doesn’t seem to have had any relationship to beer, not that that stopped the advertising machinery.
Saturday’s ad is for Jacob Ruppert Beer, from maybe the 1950s. I love the tagline, “Tasting is Believing,” but even better is the line at the bottom of the ad. “Slow Aged for Finer Flavor.” BUt I don’t know about the model, dressed in a nautical blouse with a captain’s hat on her head. She looks like she’s really there beachside as the boats put out. That I’m not believing.
Friday’s ad is another one for Budweiser, this one from 1969. Showing a stubbie bottle of Budweiser bookended by a pair of actual Clydesdales bookends. My daughter would love those. As to whether “reading” the label makes the beer better and helps you “appreciate” it more, I’m not terribly convinced.
Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1958. It’s seedy, steamy setting of seduction. A sultry, well-made up, siren lies on a shag carpet, cigarette in hand, its smoke wafting into the air. Using an LP (remember those, kiddies?) for a pillow, she glances up to see a bottle of beer being poured into a glass for her. She’s apparently hallucinating, too, as a jazz band can be seen floating in the air just above the radio/stereo system behind her head. Does that mean she’s had quite enough to drink already, despite being poured another? Frankly, I think she looks a bit too much like Agnes Moorehead from her later years, circa “Endora” from Bewitched.
