Monday’s ad is from the long-running “Where there’s Life …” series for Budweiser, this one from the mid-1950s, I believe. They did few ads of this type, with scene shown through a full glass of beer, and in this one it’s square dancing. Yee haw.

Saturday’s ad is the last (that I know of) in the Budweiser historical series from 1908. The black and white ad is text-heavy and includes a history lesson on James Monroe, our fifth president and the architect of the Monroe Doctrine. After the requisite historical bit, it launches into this priceless series of claims:

WHEN old Mother Earth grows better malting barley than northern soil produces —

WHEN the fertile valleys and verdant mountain slopes of Old Bohemia grow better hops —

WHEN natures produces better and purer waters —

WHEN brew-science has been developed to a higher art —

THEN, and not till then, will it be possible to produce a better beer than Budweiser.

Good luck with that.

Friday’s ad is another in the Budweiser historical series from 1908. The black and white ad is text-heavy and includes a history lesson on John Adams, our second president and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The ad makes the curious appeal that any dealer who carries Budweiser will realize less profits than selling other beers. Why? “Because it costs more money at the brewery than any other beer made. A royal brew of malt and hops whose absolute sovereignty has never been challenged.” Interesting strategy. One other anachronistic feature of advertising a century ago. The advert ran in a publication called Pearson’s Advertiser. At the very bottom of the page it includes this gem. “You will confer a favor by mentioning PEARSON’S when you write to advertisers.”

Thursday’s ad is another in the Budweiser historical series from 1908. The black and white ad is text-heavy and includes a history lesson on William Penn, who founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. After discussing Penn, the ad copy switches to hops. “Lupulin has created a stir in the medical world because of its great Tonic properties for stomach disorders. It is found in the highest and most effective form in Saazer Hops, grown in the province of Saaz, Bohemia. The Anheuser Busch Brewing Ass’n, St. Louis, U.S.A. import more of these hops than all other breweries in the United States, and use them exclusively in their famous Budweiser.” Anybody know if ABI still uses an Saaz — er, Saazer — hops? I know they own hopfields in the Hallertau (I’ve been to those) and also in Idaho (ditto), but in the Czech Republic?

Tuesday’s ad is another old one for Budweiser, also from 1908. The black and white ad is text-heavy and includes a history lesson on Otto von Bismarck, though I doubt the ad would have run after World War I. This was just a few years before anti-German sentiment peaked because of the war, and so many of the successful breweries in America were started by German immigrants, and Anheuser-Busch was no exception. But they loved him. “Like all Germans he believed in good eating and drinking, hence the juices of malt and hops were never absent from his table.”