Saturday’s ad is yet another one for Ballantine Ale, this one from 1946. This is from a series of billboard ads from around the same time I stumbled upon, though I’m sure the originals in color are more spectacular. In this ad for Ballantine, they’re advertising with a man fishing, reeling in a big one. Apparently, over his shoulder he heard something. “Did Somebody Say Ballantine.” Happily, there’s a delivery on the horizon.

Friday’s ad is another one for Ballantine Ale, again from 1950. This is from a series of billboard ads from around the same time I stumbled upon, though I’m sure the originals in color are more spectacular. In this ad for Ballantine, they’re advertising with what appears to be a typo. Punctuation matters. What’s on the billboard is “You’re next Ballantine,” as in “you are next Ballantine,” but next for what? It seems like it would make more sense as “Your next Ballantine,” especially since the woman in the ad is holding a beer out, as if to hand it to you, or at least the next person to stop. She seems to be showing you your next beer rather than warning the brewery that they’re next.

Thursday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from 1950. This is from a series of billboard ads from around the same time I stumbled upon, though I’m sure the originals in color are more spectacular. In this ad for Ballantine, they’re advertising with a curious slogan, “You’ll swing to Ballantine Ale!” But I like the idea of a man pointing at drivers as they pass by, a giant bow-tied man smiling from on high, his expression seeming to say, or even smirk, “drink.”

Tuesday’s ad is for Ballantine Ale, from 1941. It’s part of a series of ads Ballantine did under the umbrella name “Early American something,” in this one, for example, it’s “Early American Interlude.” I find this one a little creepy. It reminds me more of the cover of a romance novel, with a smiling colonial babe peering in at a shirtless blacksmith.

Thursday’s ad is for Ballantine, from 1939. Showing a handy new way to order a Ballantine, make the OK sign by placing your thumb and forefinger in a circle, for a ring, and sticking the remaining three fingers in the air, for the number three. So that’s three rings, and as the ad asks: “Get It?”

Friday’s ad is another one for Ballantine Ale, also from 1963. In an ad series somewhat similar to the Blatz series, the “Ale Man” in the ad is a famous person, although more marginally famous tending more toward the manly fame. In this one, a second, and different, ad featuring political scientist, novelist, and non-fiction writer Eugene Burdick, who was also fond of scuba diving, making him “a man with a thirst for a manlier brew.”

Thursday’s ad is another one for Ballantine Ale, from 1963. In an ad series somewhat similar to the Blatz series, the “Ale Man” in the ad is a famous person, although more marginally famous tending more toward the manly fame. In this one, the ad features the appropriately named Colin Ratsey, who was a world-class sailor before founding a sail-making company, making him “a man with a thirst for a manlier brew.”

Wednesday’s ad is another one for Ballantine Ale, from 1963. In an ad series somewhat similar to the Blatz series, the “Ale Man” in the ad is a famous person, although more marginally famous tending more toward the manly fame. In this one, the ad features the appropriately named Ray Manley, who was a photographer known for his landscapes of Arizona, making him “a man with a thirst for a manlier brew.”

Tuesday’s ad is another one for Ballantine Ale, also from 1962. In an ad series somewhat similar to the Blatz series, the “Ale Man” in the ad is a famous person, although more marginally famous tending more toward the manly fame. In this one, the ad features political scientist, novelist, and non-fiction writer Eugene Burdick, who was also fond of scuba diving, making him “a man with a thirst for a manlier brew.”