Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1940. In this ad, a trivia bonanza, all about how things got their names. “What’s in a Name? Everything!” There are sixteen little histories of how different things got their names, which is a lot for an ad, even a double truck. And then there’s just one more origin story:Schlitz.
Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1939. In this ad, with the ridiculously long title “Favorite Recipes of famous Amateur Chefs that go well with that famous flavor found only in Schlitz. The dense ad includes short bios and recipes from ten people (they’re hard to read) and this interesting blanket statement. “The epicure prefers a beer that is neither sweet nor bitter.” I think that depends on what he’s doing with it, how he’s using it or what food he’s pairing or cooking it with. Of course, this was 1939, and Sean Paxton and Bruce Paton hadn’t been born yet.
Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1938. In this ad, it tells the tale of a man from Kansas in India for work, and amazed at the foreign land’s beauty and strangeness. But hen his “boy” brings him a brown bottle of Schlitz, cooled in a waterfall, and all is right with the world once more. In fact, he believes that beer saved his life. That’s a pretty impressive beer.
Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1939. In this ad, it’s an early form of listicle creating “A Geographic Hall of Fame,” meaning what certain places are famous for. Some are obvious, like cigars from Havana or Concord grapes. Others seem less well known, at least to me, like sausage from Bolgna or china from Dresden. (I certainly didn’t see a lot of plates and cups when I was there, though to be fair I wasn’t really looking for china, either.) Naturally, the ad is making the case that what Milwaukee should be in the Hall of Fame for is beer, and not just any beer, but Schlitz.
Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1941. In this ad, oddly about class, it’s really about how we call beer an “affordable luxury,” although the way they say it as a little different. “Not everyone can own the finest pearl, or drive the costliest car. But America’s most distinguished beer is within the reach of everybody. Here, indeed, is democracy in a bottle!”
Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1935. In this ad, which shows a blazing fire engulfing Chicago — the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 — along with the tagline “Long Before The Chicago Fire, Schlitz was making Milwaukee famous.” Which is technically true, since Schlitz was founded in 1849, or 22 years before the fire destroyed Chicago. Still, it seems like an odd way to sell beer.
Sunday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1939. In this ad, all about aerial photography, in addition to American landmarks shot from the air, there’s also a photo of the Schlitz brewery in Milwaukee.
Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1888. In this ad, a very patriotic server, in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, is setting down a third glass of beer, as her two customers try to clink their glasses together while staring off into space. And are those the smallest beer glasses you’ve ever seen? And lastly, what about that goat table leg?
Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1914. In this ad, which ran in the Detoit Press on July 17, 1914, the warning inside the beer-drinking man’s head reads. “Nature has many ways of warning man of danger. The sense of taste and smell both serve for protection.” That’s followed by them stating that those skunk aromas and flavors come from “beer from light bottles.” They suggest; “Why take the risk?” Brown bottles are better, so buy Schlitz.
Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1900. In this ad, after Schlitz had passed away and original founder August Krug’s nephews, August and Henry Uihlein, inherited the brewery, they continued building the business and by 1900 were brewing one million barrels of beer per year. I love these old brewery illustrations that make them seem just massive. And notice the keg-beer brands offered. One listed is “Budweiser.” That seems curious. And some of the bottled beers include “Extra-Pale,” “Extra-Stout,” and Schlitz-Porter.”
