Sunday’s ad is for Rheingold beer, from 1940. Grantland Rice was a famous sportwriter, apparently known for his “elegant prose.” It’s also his birthday today. He wrote the sentiment that it’s not whether you won or lost, “But how you played the Game,” in a poem entitled “Alumnus Football.” He also did this ad for the “quicker quencher,” an odd nickname if ever there was one.
Saturday’s Halloween ad is for Schlitz, from 1949. Part of Schlitz’s “I Was Curious” series, each employing a three-panel structure, this one takes place at a Halloween party. A man dressed as a bear spots a table full or Schlitz beer and was apparently thirsty enough to get a beer, forcing him to reveal himself by removing his bear helmet/mask to drink the beer, at which point, the bunny behind the table removes her rabbit head to reveal a fetching blonde, and the two appear to make googly eyes at one another. Which should mean the ad will have a happy ending. But in the first panel, the bunny was holding on onto a tray while a pirate poured beers into glasses, and then briskly goes off to deliver the beers to other guests at the party. That might suggest that he’s one of the hosts of the party, and possibly the bunny’s husband or boyfriend. So maybe this ad is racier than you might think at first glance. Perhaps we’re seeing the start of an affair?
Friday’s ad is for Michelob, from 1970. A surprisingly fun ad, draping the Michelob bottle with a sheet as a ghost for Halloween. “Surprise People” indeed. Happy Devil’s Night.
Thursday’s ad is for Heineken, from, I believe, the 1950s. I’m not really sure when the ad is from, but given the woman serving the man so subserviently, I’d have to say 1950s or very early 1960s. The tagline, “ook biy U thuis,” is essentially “also at home” or “also in your home” (thanks Martijn for the better translation).
Wednesday’s ad is for Brüna, from 1950. I have no idea about the beer itself, but the poster was done by Raymond Savignac, a famous French illustrator at the time. Do a Google image search for him and you’ll see his widely copied style. The French text “La Biere Qui Rechauffe” translates, at least according to Google translate, as “Beer that warms,” which seems curious, although perhaps not to a polar bear (or is it a brown bear?).
Tuesday’s ad is another one for Heineken. I think it’s a fairly recent ad, but I’m really not sure, though I suspect it can’t be any older than the 1980s. It’s done in the style of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, whose birthday is today. Showing a bottle of Heineken popping open, with his trademark comic book style, and a satisfying “pssst” as it opens.
Monday’s ad is for Heineken, from the 1950s. From what I can figure from using Google Translate, this ad ran in South Africa, because the language of it is Afrikaans. It seems to be something like: “Be a man! Drink a glass of spicy Amstel Beer.” It’s a strange ad, showing an attractive woman holding up a glass of beer, almost taunting us with “be a man!” The proportions of the illustration, however, look a little off when you examine them closely, giving them more of a cartoon-like feel.
Sunday’s ad is for Falstaff, from the 1960. I figured the “Best picnic in a month of Sun days” would have to be on a Sunday. The other tagline is “Good Times are better with Light, Refreshing Falstaff.” Picnicing by the side of a stream, it looks like they’re having a good time. But it’s a little racy for 1960, with the woman hiking up her skirt to stay dry as one of the men in the scene tries to steal her beer.
Saturday’s ad is for Guinness, from the 1986. On the day the United Nations was founded, I thought this ad for Guinness depicting the U.N. building in New York was appropriate. The copy is pretty funny though, referring to the beer as “fraternal Guinness” and to drink it “in peace and quiet all you have to do is become a delegate in the United Nations.” That’s because apparently Guinness is served in the dining room reserved for delegates on the top floor of the U.N. building, complete with panoramic views of the city. But I suspect there are probably easier ways to get a beer, though maybe the one we can buy aren’t “cool, fraternal Guinness.”
Friday’s ad is for Colt 45, from the 1970s. It’s a simple ad, with two African-Americans in orange outfits. The man is facing the camera, holding a can of Colt 45 Malt Liquor in his hand. Looks like they have a fine evening ahead of them … together!
