Tuesday’s ad is for Carling Black Label, from 1961. One form their “People Try It and They Like It” series, this one features one of the simplest beer pairings, but also one of the most sublime: potato chips and beer. Although that may simply be because I’m obsessed with potato chips. And to the end, surely they could have found some better looking chips.
Monday’s ad is for Rheingold, from 1958, featuring Miss Rheingold from that year, Madelyn Darrow. I far as I can tell, she’s sightseeing on a fire boat — is that what they call a boat owned by the fire department? — and wearing a bright red ensemble, with white gloves of course, for the journey.
Friday’s ad is for Goetz, and their Country CLub Malt Liquor. It’s from 1955 and “Mmm — just wait until you taste it.” That’s not me saying that, that’s what the ad copy says. Notice that can looks smaller? It doesn’t appear to be a 12 oz. can. Maybe that’s the “new” part of “Party Brew!”? I also love this bit of ad copy: “So smooth — so different! Looks inviting … tastes exciting!” Hilarious. What exactly does “exciting” taste like?
Thursday’s ad is for Schaefer, in the “smart new package.” When the ad is from, I’m not quite sure, but based on the can, probably the 1950s or before. It’s a simple ad, but for some reason — most likely nostalgia — I’ve always liked the Schaefer branding.
Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1948. I love the look on her face, like she’s about to play a trick on someone, instead of simply delivering a beer. I know it was 1948, but it’s hard not to notice the servant/slave and husband/master relationship depicted in the ad. At least she looks happy in her subservience. He just looks clueless.
Tuesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1953. With the tagline “Recipe for Pleasure,” they’re pushing the radical notion that seafood and beer might well be enjoyed together. Who knew?
Monday’s ad is for Lowenbrau, which is 1976 was billed as “The world’s most exclusive and expensive beer.” Given the recent debate over the packages and prices of beer, it’s pretty funny to see so pedestrian a beer as this in a Champagne ice bucket with gold foil covering the neck and crown. If that was truly the most expensive beer in 1976, then it really says something about how awful the beer scene must have been at that time. And for that matter, is it really wise to declare that you’re the “most expensive” anything?
Friday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1941. It’s a two-color ad, using mostly red, but it really makes the beer bottle and glass pop. It looks this might only be part of the ad, it feels like something must be missing, and the proportions don’t look quite right, either, providing more evidence that this is only a piece of the original ad.
For a little Friday frivolity, here’s a commercial for the Argentina beer Cerveza Andes, showing the Teletransporter devices they’ve installed in bars throughout South America. Try to ignore the misogynist overtones, and remember it’s meant to be a joke that plays on unfair stereotypes, which doesn’t mean you can’t find it funny. The idea is that Andes built transporters, like from Star Trek — sort of — to help men sneak out for a beer, without getting caught.
Here’s the description, from the ad agency that created the ads:
Many beer brands speak to men in a shared tone showing to them that they really understand their needs. Yet, up to now, all intentions were expressed by a message without and action plan. Andes, the leader beer in the Andina Region of Argentina, presents: Andes Beer: Teletransporter — a revolutionary invention capable of doing something almost impossible: men can now go to a bar and share an Andes beer with friends without having any problems with their girlfriends. Andes Teletransporter Booths have been installed at the main bars of Mendoza, Argentina. Einstein mentioned that teletransportation was impossible since objects could not conduct faster than light. Einstein was wrong!
But just watch the subtitled ad below.
While currently impossible, apparently we may actually be getting closer to teleportation, believe it or not. According to zdiaz.com :
In December of 1997, Scientists in an Austrian laboratory destroyed bits of light in one place and made perfect replicas appear about 3 feet away. In 2004 Physicists carried out a successful teleportation with particles of light over a distance of 600 meters across the River Danube in Austria. And in 2006 Physicists demonstrate the first successful entanglement of the quantum states of photons (in a laser beam) with the quantum states of physical matter. Sure this is a long way from having breakfast in Paris, lunch in New York and Dinner in Beijing, but we are almost getting there.
It was reported by the BBC in Teleportation goes long distance and in Teleportation breakthrough made and it was also done successfully in Japan, as reported in Quantum leap: bits of light successfully teleported. And then last year, they broke a new distance record when Physicists Quantum Teleport Photons Over 88 Miles. It may be a very long way off, but who knows. Maybe someday we really can say, “beer me up, Scotty.” Here’s an interesting overview of the science behind teleportation, if you’re interested in learning more about it. And here’s another one by Gary Garrison and also one from How Stuff Works?
Thursday’s ad is for the South African SAB brand Hofbrau Premium Lager. It’s not particularly old, having been created in 1998, but since today is Albert Einstein’s birthday it seemed an appropriate ad for today. I assume it’s the same amount of beer, but because there are two different size glasses, our perception of how much beer is in each is relative to the size of the glass.
