Thursday’s holiday ad is for Schlitz, from 1955. The slogan is “Holidays call for the finer things in life,” and since I’m in my way to a fancy party tonight, this ad made the most sense. Too true.
Beer In Ads #260: Happy Holidays Ahead, From Carling
Wednesday’s holiday ads are for Carling, both their Black Label and Red Cap beers. Both of the ads are from the 1950s. They show the same jolly fellow carrying home a case or two of beer in the snow and promising they’ll provide “Happy Holidays Ahead!” Frankly, he already looks so happy I believe him.
The second ad is for just Carling Black Label.
Santa Beer Cozy
I don’t know how I missed this last year, but Urban Outfitters carried exclusively a two-piece Santa Claus beer cozy. They don’t have it this year, it’s sold out now. And all the blogs featuring, like at Nerd Approved, are from last year, too. So while I would never use a beer cozy, it is hilarious.
Beer In Ads #258: Samichlaus Bound
Monday’s holiday ad is for Samichlaus Bier, now brewed at Schloss Eggenberg in Austria each year on December 6 — today — because the beer’s namesake, Santa Claus, or at least St. Nicholas, has his feast day today.
Below is an interesting graphic of the changes in Samichlaus bottles over the years from 1984 to 2004.
Guinness Ad #45: Christmas Seals
Our 45th Guinness poster by John Gilroy features Santa’s sleigh being pulled by a pair of seals balancing a Guinness bottle and pint glass on their respective noses as Santa chases them in hot pursuit. The slogan is “My Goodness, My Christmas Guinness.” Personally I don’t think the jolly fat man is going to get his Guinness back.
In the similar painting below, used as a postcard, there’s only one seal pulling the sled along with many of the famous Guinness advertising icon animals. Santa Claus is driving the sleigh and they’re transporting a case of Guinness.
Beer In Ads #257: Miller, There’s Only One Favorite
Friday’s holiday ad is from 1951 and is for Miller High Life. I love the retro cartoons, they remind me of the Schlitzerland ads from around the same time. There’s the Santa suit, hanging the mistletoe, putting on the feast and greeting the guests with the Christmas tree in the window.
Beer In Ads #256: Carling’s Red Cap Wreath
Thursday’s holiday ad is for Carling Red Cap from the 1950s. On a wintery front door instead of a wreath is hung a very, very large red cap. Now that’s holiday spirit.
Beer In Ads #255: Have Fun … Down A Crown
Wednesday’s holiday ad is for Molson Crown from 1958. Showing a holiday party in progress, the hostess is bringing in a tray full of Crown Lager Beer. I love the slogan “Have Fun … Down A Crown.” It’s so wonderfully cheesy. And from the looks of things, yes, “Everybody’s happy at the Molson Crown Club.”
Beer In Ads #254: Good Cheer From The Land Of Sky Blue Waters
Tuesday’s holiday ad is for Hamm’s from sometime in the 1950s, most likely. The bottom right-hand corner of the ad reference Hamm’s sponsorship of the Edward R. Murrow show Person to Person. That show aired from 1953 to 1961, so the ad must be from the same range of time.
Beer In Ads #16: Pabst, What’ll You Have?
Wednesday’s ad is a Christmas ad — because today is Old Christmas Day, when “on the 12th day after Christmas, Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi, the first Gentile recognition of Christ.” It’s also known as Epiphany, Three Kings Day and Twelfth Day. If I had to guess, I’d say this ad was from the mid-to-late fifties. The tagline “What’ll You Have?” was used by Pabst for a number of years and it appears it a number of their ads from that time period. Happy Christmas.
