Our 51st Guinness poster by John Gilroy was, like last week’s, probably from World War 2, and shows a group of soldiers practicing their grenade throwing, with one of them substituting a bottle of Guinness for a grenade. Their commanding officer certainly looks surprised to see the Guinness fly.
Here’s a slightly different version showing one additional soldier.
Friday’s ad is for the Albion Brewery in Leeds. I’m not sure when the ad is from, though I believe the brewery was founded in 1897 and closed in either 1933 or 1948, the UK National Archives isn’t sure. If the truck is any indication it’s got to be pretty early in the history of automotive transportation. And at some point they stopped giving driver’s licenses to lions, didn’t they?
Today’s UK newspaper, The Independent, has a nice write-up of Patrick McGovern’s theory (among others) that it was the desire of early man to brew beer that caused them to abandon their hunter gatherer ways and settle down to a life of farming, in the process sparking nothing short of civilization itself.
In the article, Did A Thirst For Beer Spark Civilization?, McGovern says “I think most people see (this theory) as a very plausible scenario. But we don’t have all the evidence. I just wanted to put it out there as a worldwide hypothesis. Then over time maybe the different pieces can be put together from across the world.” McGovern is the author of Uncorking the Past — a book I heartily recommend — that goes into great detail about the evidence for his theories.
Patrick McGovern signing boos at GABF in 2009.
Thursday’s ad is a Ballantine ad from 1947. Part of the history ads featuring clay dioramas, this one shows a wagon heading west, passing a saloon where the bartender is coming out with a mug of beer. The wagon driver’s rope is making the three-ring Ballantine logo, which would be impressive if someone could actually do that in real life.
Wednesday’s ad is a Budweiser ad from 1958. The text “Fancy That!” at the top of the ad seems to be trying to equate the beer as being as “fancy” as the woman holding the lacy fan. I’ve called Bud a lot of things, but fancy was never one of them.
Tuesday’s ad is for Carling Black Label from 1972 featuring a curio box of Carling beer and related paraphenalia. The slogan is “Brighten Your Holidays With Full Flavor,” though it doesn’t look particularly festive to me. I do love the expression on the blonde’s face in the portrait in the upper right box.
Monday’s ad from the 1950s for Schlitz. It’s a bowling ad with a pun. “Set Up the Fun with Light Refreshment.” It cracks me up that he can’t put down the bowling ball long enough to drink his own beer, he needs help.
Our 50th Guinness poster by John Gilroy was most likely from World War 2, and shows a Spitfire airplane “eying” and speeding toward a bottle of Guinness as a mechanic on the ground races to grab his beer first. It’s slogan is the familiar “My Goodness, My Guinness.”
Friday’s ad is a 1969 Budweiser ad showing a can of their beer in between a hero sandwich, with the slogan “The Great American Hero for the Great American Hero.” I’m not sure I’d want to bite into that sandwich, I’d be afraid I’d lose a tooth. Or it might taste metallic.
Thursday’s ad is yet another one for Detroit’s Goebel beer, from 1948. I figure I may as well keep the inadvertent theme going. I miss the small bottle, which they call a “bantam.” Except for a few extreme beers, you rarely see them anymore. Even Anchor had to abandon that small bottle they used to use for Old Foghorn. I’m told the bottle just became too expensive. But back to the ad. No time to drink 12 ounces? Surely you can drink a 7 ounce bantam weight beer and still make the train.
