Friday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1962. The ad depicts a holiday dinner party, but I especially like the goofy expression on the woman in yellow dress staring at the man pouring himself a beer, as she’s about to shove some food in her mouth. Also, I love the ad copy copy from this period, using emotional adjectives to describe flavor and tastes. In this case, Budweiser tastes “cheerful.” I wonder what that tastes like?
Today’s infographic is the final part of a four-part series on the History of Addiction. The fourth part covers what they term the Zero Tolerance Era, from 1980 through today.
Click here to see the infographic full size.
Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser, from the not terribly distant time of 1990. But it’s a great retro-looking ad harkening back to a simpler time, and it certainly makes me wish for snow. Is that Santa driving the eight non-so-tiny clydesdales?
Today’s infographic is part 3 of a four-part series on the History of Addiction. The third part covers the period after World War Two through 1980.
Wednesday’s ad is for Blatz Beer, from 1945. It’s a simple ad showing an attractive woman glancing up at some mistletoe hanging above her, with an expectant expression on her face. But what I love in this ad is at the bottom, what is perhaps the best approach to not being the best-selling beer since Avis declared themselves to be number 2, insisting “we try harder.” Blatz marketed themselves as “Fast Becoming America’s Favorite.” Quite a lot of wiggle room in that one.
Today’s infographic is part 2 of a four-part series on the History of Addiction. The second part covers the Industrial Revolution, from the 18th century through just before World War II. Tomorrow, part 3.
Click here to see the infographic full size.
The other day while searching for an image of Pike’s Pale for my Lady Eve post, I happened upon a webpage of antique pinbacks, where Mark Lansdown displays his awesome collection of “vintage comic pinbacks from the 1890s to the 1950s.” What is a pinback? A pinback, or pin-back button, is one of those small buttons with a pucture or slogan on it that people wear on their short or on a hat. It’s fastened with a pin that’s in the back, and that’s why it’s called a pinback. Frankly, I’d always just called them buttons, but this is apparently the more official name for them. Over the years, they’ve been used for almost any promotional idea you could name. Political buttons, of course, but also for many others, for business, issue advocacy or just for fun. When I was younger, and lived back East, I used to frequent yard sales, flea markets and antique shows and amassed a show box full of antique pinbacks without really trying. That, and I used to work in the record business (back when there still were records) and buttons were a common feature of the music landscape. But because they’re relatively inexpensive, lots of people collect them seriously, and you can find out more at pinbacks.com, Legacy Americana or Buttonpalooza. Or read a short history at Zippy Pins or People Power Press.
So, the “I’m the Guy” series of pinbacks were created in the 1910s as a promotion for Hassan Cigarettes, who apparently created many different pinback series over the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The pinbacks were used as promotional giveaways or premiums when people bought their cigarettes. According to one source, the “I’m the Guy” phrase was coined by the famous humorist Rube Goldberg circa 1910. Apparently, “this was a stock saying by a character in a comic strip Goldberg drew. The phrase became very popular, and Goldberg elaborated it over time. He was even co-author of a song entitled ‘I’m the Guy,’ whose lyrics were largely comprised of variations on this catchphrase.” You can see tons more of the I’m the Guy pinbacks, but three of them were decidedly beer-themed and are displayed below. Enjoy.
I’m the Guy That Put the Ale in Yale
I’m the Guy That Put the Beer in Munich
I’m the Guy That Put the Bud in Budweiser
Tuesday’s ad is for Cerveza Polar, from some time after the 1940s, since that’s when production began for the Polar brand in Venezuela. This ad appears to be for the Cuban market, so it may be pre-Castro since I doubt there were many beer ads after 1959 … or Christmas, for that matter.
If you saw my post from this morning about Beer Sales Dropping. The original story mentioned nine brands that have, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights, “declined by more than 25% over the past five years.” 24/7 Wall St. listed the Nine Beers Americans No Longer Drink. They are:
Ouch.
Today’s infographic is part 1 of a four-part series on the History of Addiction. The first part covers the Bronze and Iron Ages, from the beginning of civilization through the 18th century. Tomorrow, part 2.
Click here to see the infographic full size.
