Thursday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, from 1942. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, but after World War II began. This one shows a threesome sitting around a roaring fire, beers in hand, warming up after a long day’s skiing. Luckily, the mellowness of beer and ale will temper winter’s bite. Yay beer.
Wednesday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, also from 1941. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, but after World War II began. However, this ad ran in February, meaning it was after the war in Europe began, but before America entered the war. This one shows a doctor returning from work at one o’clock in the morning, having just delivered twins. Sitting down to take off his shoes, before he’s even taken off his hat or coat, he calls to the other room, asking “where’s that beer?” It’s good to have priorities.
Tuesday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, from 1941. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, but after World War II began. However, this ad ran in Collier’s in November, meaning it was shortly before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, so it was just before America entered the war. As a result, this one is a bowling themed ad, “Right down their alley … a glass of mellow beer or ale!” War ads would follow next year, but for now things were still “mellow”.
Sunday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, another one from 1940. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. This one focuses on the fact that “Nature Makes Beer,” but it’s hard not to love this. “A wholesome beverage, it deserves to be sold only in wholesome surroundings.”
Saturday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, this one from 1940. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. Ah, “The Moderation Hour,” where “Good Beer and Ale in wholesome, modern taverns, offer Americans pleasant inexpensive relaxation!” In all of the 1939 ads I’ve been running, they’ve been saying annual taxes brewers pay is $400 million but now the results are in for 1939, and the new number is $411,596,780, for both state and federal.
Friday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, again from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. Showing an order for $100 million dollars worth of crops, including 3 billion pounds of barley, along with hops, corn and rice, the ad points out how important the brewing industry is to farmers growing those crops.
Thursday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, again from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. That “One-Sixth of a Nation Blowing Away!” is referring to the dust bowl of the midwest. But not to worry, it can all be saved, thanks to beer taxes — “a million dollars a day!”
Wednesday’s ad is still another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, again from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. The ad shows Uncle Sam (who first appeared today in 1813) peering out on a sunlit landscape, with a road spreading out before him. He’s stop, holding his hat behind his back, deep in thought trying to decide which of three roads to take just up ahead. What are his choices? “It is not blindly that we of today must choose our path. Many men before us have travelled each of the three roads … the dead-end road to excess, the harsh road of intolerance, the straight road ahead which is the way of moderation and sobriety.” I vote for the way of mod sob. But I also love the text from the inset box:
“Beer is one of the oldest and best of beverages; its use is widespread in every land; it is within the reach of every purse … The growth of its use in this country is bound to make for general temperance; for there is nothing more promising to combat the evil of too much alcohol than the opportunity of drinking good beer.”
Tuesday’s ad is yet another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, again from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. The worker, the taxman and the farmer are all saying “Thanks a Million!” for the over one million dollars paid in taxes each and every day by the beer industry. But I especially love this line. “Even the non-beer drinker enjoys beer’s economic benefits!”
Sunday’s ad is still another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, also from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. In some ways, this is a strange one, asking consumers to care if the brewers’ beer they’re buying is a member of the UBIF. For only the geekiest of beer geeks is that a serious concern. I especially love the sign hanging on the wall behind him. “This Place Observes the Law.” You don’t see signs like that in bars and retailers anymore, sad to say.
