Tuesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1962. After a day of duck hunting, no matter where you are, the beer will taste the same. I love that one of the guys is drinking so much faster than the other one. His glass is empty while the guy on the right with the flannel sleeve hasn’t even touched his, and must be thinking. “Dude, you gulped your beer down already!?!”
Beer In Ads #1622: Chair Painting
Monday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1950. This is from Bud’s long-running “there’s nothing like it … absolutely nothing” series. At least in this ad, the man is serving a beer to his wife, as there are two bottles and glasses. But she seems to be the only one painting the chair. At least that’s how it looks, since it would pretty foolish to wear a white sweater vest when painting. Of course, this was the fifties, when people seemed to dress up to do anything and everything.
Beer In Ads #1621: Put The Finest Label … On Your Snacking Table
Sunday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1960. This is another in the “Put The Finest Label … On Your Table” series, with this one focusing on what looks like a generous amount of snacks, finger foods and appetizers, plus a fairly full entrée plate. As before, the woman seems to be doing all of the work, smiling even, as the man pours himself a beer. And there appears to be only one bottle and only one glass, so she’s too bust to stop to have a drink, one supposes. Of course, it’s possible he’s pouring the beer for her, and that’s why she’s smiling. In 1960? Nah, I’m going with my first scenario.
Beer In Ads #1620: Come And Watch The Races
Saturday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1960. It’s an interesting approach. The ad is trying to persuade people to leave their homes and drink beer in a bar or tavern, and using horse racing as the carrot. So either way Schlitz wins, since they’re the ones sponsoring the big three horse races.
Beer In Ads #1619: Put The Finest Label … By The Fireplace
Friday’s ad is yet another one for Miller High Life, also from 1960. It’s also part of the “Put The Finest Label … On Your Table” series, this one in either a homey restaurant or a cold, sterile home with a stove and a plate of cheese in the background.
Beer In Ads #1618: Beer Fishing
Thursday’s ad is another one for Miller High Life, this time from 1947. It’s a detailed illustration of a man fishing from the back of a boat, while at the same time eating a sandwich with a bottle of beer. He’s wearing kind of a goofy grin, maybe that’s what happens if you’re on a boat too long?
Beer In Ads #1617: Put The Finest Label … On Your Table
Wednesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1960. Ah, the end of the 1950s. The two men have a beer and a smoke while the little woman shells peas and prepares the meal for them. There are only two bottles on that table. If she has to do all the work, the least they could do is offer her a beer.
Beer In Ads #1616: Only When It’s Pabst
Tuesday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon, from 1913. Showing a woman almost completely covered by a head scarf, and wearing what looks to be a raincoat or overcoat, the tagline “Only When It’s Pabst” seems inscrutable. What does that even mean? She’s also wearing leather gloves holding her glass of beer. My guess is that it was meant to represent a driving outfit for one of those new fangled horseless carriages.
Beer In Ads #1615: Harrison Ford For Kirin Lager
Monday’s ad is for Kirin Lager, from the early 1990s, probably 1994. I’m guessing 1994, because Ford also did a television commercial for Kirin that year. Featuring actor Harrison Ford, whose birthday is today, the poster is advertising Kirin Lager. According to one account, here is a translation of the poster, which was seen in a convenience store window:
Harrison Ford endorsing Kirin beer, Fukushima 福島
“Kono aji ga, biiru.” = “This taste, beer.”
“Kire aji, daigo aji” = “cutting edge taste, the epitome of taste”
“Kirin ragaa.” = “Kirin lager.”
And apparently the small letters at the bottom here translate as: “You have to be 20 years old for beer and recycle the empty cans.”
Beer In Ads #1614: For That Smoother Taste —
Sunday’s ad is for Pabst Blue Ribbon, from 1950. Featuring actor William Bendix, who did mostly character roles but also played the Babe in The Babe Ruth Story, it shows him relaxing in his den, pipe in one hand and a mug of beer in the other. Pabst must have been a sponsor of his radio show at the time, “The Life of Riley.” Bendix tended to play everyday guys, blue collar toughs with street smarts, masculine men, so that may be what Pabst was trying to associate themselves with, especially in that setting with its leather chair, and other manly accouterments.
