Monday’s holiday ad is for Schlitz, from 1966. I guess it’s a humorous ad, but not to George. While wrapping George’s gift of a six-pack of Schlitz — George is not this guy’s best friend, presumably — he decides to drink one of the cans of beer, thinking to himself. “I wonder if George will mind getting a 5-Pak.” Yes, I think he will. But I think what George will mind most of all is getting such a shitty present to begin with. Sheesh.
Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1956. It was a Thanksgiving ad for Schlitz, starting with the ad copy “Lighten the Fun!” And how do we lighten the fun, you may be wondering. Well, “For Thanksgiving … add Schlitz!” Of course, why didn’t I think of that? Hmm, I also wonder what whoever wins the wishbone will wish for? Happy Thanksgiving.
Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1948. The tagline reads, “Refreshingly Different!” And while it’s certainly different, I’m not quite sure how something can be refreshingly different. But if anything could, I suppose a bear waitress in a green polka-dot apron and ice skating to deliver a Schlitz with two glasses would definitely fit the bill.
Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1952. In what looks like a hunting lodge, or at least a rec. room, a younger couple sits on a couch drinking beer out of tall pilsner glasses, while an older gentlemen with a pipe appears to be showing off his red hat. He sure looks like he’s digging that hat, but the blonde couples’ smiles look more polite than sincere.
Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1953. It’s a fairly typical Fifties-era ad for Schlitz, with the illustration showing a woman in a pink dress seated beneath a tree on a grassy knoll as her beau hands her a glass of Schlitz. One of my first dates with my wife was a picnic on Angel Island, but we looked like nothing like this couple. Oh, and I didn’t bring Schlitz.
Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, again from 1947. The post-war ads shows a young couple in a suburban setting receiving a guest, but with a bag of loose beer bottles, to make sure they’re prepared for just such an event. I guess their local store was out of six-pack carriers.
Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1960. The ad shows a couple playing the boardgame Monopoly, and drinking Schlitz, of course. My kids have gotten into Monopoly lately, but I can’t ever remember playing it with just two people. It’s not nearly as much fun that way, so maybe that’s why they need the beer.
Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz Beer, from 1943. That makes it a wartime ad, but it shows a fancy dress dance party, which seems a bit incongruous. But presumably they’re dancing a waltz, which makes the tagline — “As Smooth as a Waltz” — work.
Friday’s ad is for Schlitz, from the 1960s. It’s part of a series of minimalist ads, this one presumably showing the phonetic pronunciation of the word gŭśtō, their adspeak term for describing Schlitz beer, and then asking “What does it mean, anyway?” Good question. Hard to imagine this was a particularly effective ad.
Thursday’s ad is for Schlitz, from the 1970s. It’s an environmental ad, and by “Don’t Drop Our Name Here,” they mean not to drop your empty cans on the beach and litter. They even created a new contraction for the ad copy, suggesting where you could put your empties. “The nearest trashcan’ll do.” Conservation of letters, too, I suppose.
