Friday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1947, featuring Miss Rheingold from that year, Michaelle Fallon. It appears she’s a pretty crack shot with a rifle.
Beer In Ads #1087: The Day We Got Out Of The Soda Pop Business
Thursday’s ad is for Falstaff, from 1969. The curious ad tells the charming down home old-timey story of how Falstaff’s “Papa Joe” kept the family business alive during Prohibition by making soda pop. The tale is called “The day we got out of the soda pop business and back into the beer business.”
Beer In Ads #1086: Falling Leaves
Wednesday’s ad is still another one for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1950, featuring Miss Rheingold from that year, Pat Burrage. Pat is standing in a grove of trees whose leaves have changed color and falling all around her. In an autumn brown coat, she’s almost invisible, except for the black hat and the winning smile.
Beer In Ads #1085: You’ve Elected Margie McNally
Tuesday’s ad is yet another one for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1956, although it features Miss Rheingold from the next year, Margie McNally. The ad is introducing Margie as Miss Rheingold 1957. She looks like quite the beauty queen and in fact the ad copy claims that choosing Miss Rheingold is “America’s second-largest election.”
How Would Jack Daniels Or Maker’s Mark Do A Beer?
Hopefully, you’ve been following the emerging story about MillerCoors’ latest attempt at recapturing beer sales through the release of Miller Fortune, a bourbon-like lager aimed at the Spirits buyer. For me, one of the funniest aspects of this is a quote from David Kroll, who according to Bloomberg News “was brought to MillerCoors from Dyson in 2012 to shake things up as its head of innovation.” Here’s what he said.
We asked, “How would Jack Daniels or Maker’s Mark do a beer and why?” We tortured every aspect to say, “Are we falling back on what beer would do?” Because this brand is intended to play in a spirits occasion.
That’s a funny question because the answer is already out there. I’m amazed at how often people ignore history, recent history even, because we know precisely how Jack Daniel’s would “do a beer” for the simple reason that they already have. How could Kroll or Miller, at least, not remember that?
In late 1994, Jack Daniel’s announced they would be building their own brewery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and by the following year they had six-packs of Jack Daniel’s beer on store shelves. During its run, they produced seven different beers under the label Jack Daniel’s 1866 Classic, which included Amber Lager, Oak-Aged American Ale, Oak-Aged Honey Brown Ale, Oak-Aged Pale Ale, Oak-Aged Pilsner, Oak-Aged Summer Brew, Oak-Aged Winter Brew.
A Jack Daniel’s collector put up a website with lots of photos of both the beer and the marketing and advertising, which makes it pretty obvious they spent a lot of money on the brand. I don’t remember exactly when they stopped making the beer, but I believe it was around 1997 or so, if memory serves. I tried a couple of the flavors once, but don’t remember being particularly impressed, although I also don’t recall that it was bad for any reason, just that it didn’t stand out.
As for a Maker’s Mark beer, if you take the distillery tour in Loretto, Kentucky you’ll learn that sister company Jim Beam once made a failed attempt of brewing beer. Maker’s Mark, in response, created an ad claiming they’d never make that mistake.
It’s amazing to me how forgetful people can be. I can’t help but be reminded of George Santayana’s famous quote from Reason in Common Sense. “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Beer In Ads #1084: Raising The Flags
Monday’s ad is another one for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1955, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Nancy Woodruff. In this one, Nancy’s wearing a wide grin and a hat that would look better on Gilligan. In her left hand, she’s raising a letter “D” and she’s holding a letter “R” in the other. I wonder what she’s trying to spell?
Beer In Ads #1083: Polka Dots & Swans
Sunday’s ad is again for Rheingold Beer, this one from 1957, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Margie McNally. This one shows her sitting by the side of a pond next to a birch tree in a striking light blue dress with white polka dots, holding a matching hat in her hand. Behind her there’s a white swan gliding by. Despite the idyllic setting, for the second day in a row there’s not a hint of a beer anywhere to be seen.
Sir John Barleycorn — Miss Hop — (and their only child) — Master Porter
Here’s a pretty cool historical artifact, from the Lewis Walpole Library at Yale. It’s a print that was created in 1808 by London publisher Thomas Tegg. It’s printed on woven paper, an “etching with stipple” and is hand-colored. The “plate mark is 25 x 35.2 cm.,” on a sheet of paper 27 x 28 cm, and the plate is numbered 151 in the upper righthand corner. When new it sold for one shilling, but I’m guessing it goes for a bit more now. It’s title is “Sir John Barleycorn — Miss Hop — (and their only child) — Master Porter” and is further “dedicated to the publicans of London.” Ah, they had a baby and named it Porter, too. Small world.
Beer In Ads #1082: Spring Flowers In Pink
Saturday’s ad is for Rheingold Beer, from 1956, and features Miss Rheingold from that year, Hillie Merritt. Wearing a lovely pink ensemble, she’s tending quite the colorful garden of yellow tulips and other spring flowers. After filling her basket with freshly cut flowers, I hope at least she’ll be going to get a beer now.
Beer In Ads #1081: What The Duchess Saw
Friday’s ad is for Whitbread, from 1965. It seems to be a play on “what the butler saw, ” instead it’s “What the Duchess Saw,” through the keyhole, which is in fact the butler pouring himself a bottle of the Duke’s Whitbread beer. He sure looks happy, doesn’t he? Hopefully he’s off the clock.
