Tuesday’s ad is for Reading Premium Beer, from 1972. Reading Premium was my hometown beer, but closed in 1976, when I was a junior in high school, more’s the pity. This ad was just four years before they closed their doors, and it must have been an ad of desperation, trying to compete on price against seven brands far more established then they ever were. But at last they were still using my hands down favorite slogan of all time: “the friendly beer for modern people.”
Today’s infographic, in honor of Guy Fawkes Night, is entitled Understanding Alcohol Consumption in England, and was created by Money Expert. Unfortunately, a lot of it is based on England’s recommended “Alcohol Units,” which were shown to have been created completely arbitrarily a few years ago, yet continue to be used by the government and related health organizations.
Click here to see the infographic full size.
Monday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from 1948. Using the Ballantine logo of three rings in a circus themed ad, this was a typical ad formula during this time period. One oddity: Either that’s a really tiny glass or it’s a nearly bottomless bottle of beer, because the glass is full, but the bottle is still more than two-thirds, possibly as much as three-quarters, full. That’s an impressive bottle. That seems more like a magic trick.
Today’s infographic is a simple illustration showing the basic steps for brewing beer. It was created for a Powerpoint presentation on the Beer Industry by Christian Adeler and Jon Bjornstad in 2011.
Friday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1955, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Nancy Woodruff. The ad shows Miss Rheingold with what must be one of the ugliest Halloween Jack-O-Lantern’s I’ve ever seen. It looks more like a scarecrow than a pumpkin.
Today’s infographic is titled “Marketing & Advertising,” but it’s really all about shelf placement and the fight for prime real estate on store shelves. It was also created for a Powerpoint presentation on the Beer Industry by Christian Adeler and Jon Bjornstad in 2011. In my experience, craft brewers do pay attention to this, especially the regional brewers, but the big boys have honed it down to a fine science, and use computer software to maximize their efforts.
Thursday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1946, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Rita Daigle. The ad shows Miss Rheingold looking bewitching as she’s lighting the candle for the Halloween jack-o-lantern. Happy Halloween.
According to a new report by the Beverage Information Group, “the beer industry saw gains in both dollar and volume in 2012 after a three-year downturn.” Their conclusion was that “well-marketed new products and slight improvements in the unemployment rate contributed to the beer industry’s overall growth.” Here’s the group’s press release with additional findings:
Super-premium, Craft, Imported and Flavored Malt Beverages out-performed the industry overall, as there is increasing demand for higher-priced beer. Super-premium and Premium increased 1.6%, and Craft increased 13.7% to reach 185.2 million 2.25-gallon cases. This is the largest increase for Craft beer in more than a decade.
Imported beer also increased for a third year, even though major brands such as Bass, Beck’s and Red Stripe were removed from the category because they are now domestically brewed. This 1% increase is largely due to consumer demand for a wider selection of products.
Innovations in the Light Beer category, such as the launch of Bud Light Platinum, were not enough to turn things around for the category. Light beer declined for the fourth year in a row. Popular and Malt Liquor also lost volume.
Although the beer industry saw positive changes in 2012, challenges still remain. According to the Beer Handbook, the beer industry will still see increases in the higher-priced categories such as Super-premium, Craft and Imported beer. It remains to be seen if these gains will help the beer industry maintain 2012’s positive direction.
“Today’s consumer no longer sees beer as their only drink option,” says Adam Rogers, senior research analyst, Beverage Information Group, Norwalk, Conn. “Spirits and wine marketers have been savvy in targeting consumers with flavored vodkas, rums and whiskies, as well as sweeter wines which have continued to take share away from the beer industry.”
For a mere $790, you can buy a copy of their annual Beer Handbook.
Today’s infographic is a Pumpkin Beer Chart, created in 2009 by Ferment Nation and features ten pumpkin beers.
Wednesday’s ad is from 1941, and was for the United States Brewers Foundation, a trade group. Showing two couples bowling with the catchy tagline “Right down their alley … a glass of mellow beer or ale!” Take a look at the guy with the pipe walking by in the background. He looks like he’s checking out the ladies as he’s carrying a pair of beer bottles past their alley.
