
Tuesday’s Valentine’s Day ad is for Schafer Beer, specifically their Pale Dry, “the beer that’s both light and dry.” But “Love at first glass” is a great slogan, especially to tie in with Valentine’s Day.

By Jay Brooks
By Jay Brooks
By Jay Brooks
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Our 106th Guinness ad is from the Illustrated London News, from late 1945, toward the end of World War II. Showing a sad-looking man in the desert, holding the lead to his camel, who’s piled high with boxes, barrels and luggage. I’m not 100% sure what’s going on in the ad. The camel looks like perhaps he’s refusing to give up the Guinness in one of the boxes on his back because he’s not tired yet. Maybe that’s why the hapless explorer looks so downtrodden. He is tired and he’s not getting an Guinness.

By Jay Brooks

Friday’s ad couldn’t be more new, less historical, if it tried. It’s the new poster for this year’s SF Beer Week, which begins today. This year’s poster may be the best yet. Each of the objects, people, places, things represent the name of a local beer, so it’s game, as well as a piece of cool art. See how many you can find and figure out.

By Jay Brooks

Thursday’s ad is a recent one for Heineken, in support of a music festival they sponsored, the Heineken Jammin’ Festival in Venice, Italy. I may not like their beer, but they do put out some great advertising. The photo of a band on state from overhead, with the floodlights lighting the crowd makes it look like a pint of dark beer with a nice head and bubbles. Awesome shot.

By Jay Brooks

Wednesday’s ad is another one for Budweiser, though this one’s a little older than yesterday’s, most likely from the late 1950s or early 1960s. It’s from Budweiser’s long-running “Where There’s Life” series of ads. The ad features a couple on the beach, and even though its night their faces still look shiny with sweat, or maybe that’s just the glow of the fire that makes them look like that. Either way, hopefully those weenies will be done soon.

By Jay Brooks

Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from not too long ago: 1987. And while I don’t normally feature the overtly sexist ads, this one is too classic to ignore. This, and variations on it, were nearly ubiquitous in the late 1980s. I recall seeing them everywhere. I still think it’s a fairly clever ad, even with the titillation. One thing that sticks out now, just 25 years later, is what they’re listenging to and reading. If the ad was done today, they’d be using an iPod and reading on a Kindle or iPad.

By Jay Brooks

Monday’s ad is still one more by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the fifth of his I’ve featured, and it’s for a presumably French beer brand, Grande Brasserie D’Arcueil. On a particularly hot day, the server appears to be licking the beer foam on the side of the glass as he delivers a giant mug of beer.

By Jay Brooks
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Our 105th Guinness ad is from the Illustrated London News, from early 1945, during World War II. It shows two navy men painting, or possibly just cleaning, an impossibly huge aircraft carrier. One turns to the other and says. “I feel like a Guinness,” to which the other replies. “I wish you were!”

By Jay Brooks

Friday’s ad is yet another by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the fourth of his I’ve featured, and it’s for a presumably French beer brand, Biere de L’Eclair. Since fizzy yellow beer is sometimes referred to as piss water, I wonder if the horse licking the mug of beer is related to that idea? Nah, probably not, especially with the dog at the man’s feet begging for any beer that might drips down the sides of his mug.

