Friday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1939. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, a companion to yesterday’s ad showing surprised man holding a “Bill For Taxes.” This ad is the bill itself. Paper-clipped to the bill is this: “In addition to paying more than 400 million dollars a year in taxes … Beer has made a million new jobs, since re-legalization. Beer also buys each year 3 million acres of farm crops … and pays a million dollars for them.

Thursday’s ad is a trade ad, by the United States Brewing Industry Foundation, from 1939. After prohibition ended, the industry started doing PSA-type ads in an attempt to create goodwill for beer and brewers. They would later go on to do a fairly sophisticated series of ads between 1946 and 1956, known unofficially as Beer Belongs. Officially, they were “The Home Life in America” series, consisting of 120 ads, with a new ad running in major periodicals each month. Last year, for my Beer in Ads series, I featured every one of them. But in the years before that, the U.S. Brewing Industry Foundation (a precursor to the original Brewer’s Association) dabbled with a variety of similar ads promoting the industry as a whole. These were especially popular during World War 2, and in fact they even won an award from the government for some of these ads. Most of the ads were black and white, although a few were in color, though usually in a minimal way, with a few colors accented rather than being in full color.

In this ad, a surprised man looks back at us over his glasses, while holding a comical “Bill For Taxes.” The bill is for $1,000,000 per day. The point of the ad is that if beer hadn’t come back, politicians taxpayers would have to find that same amount somewhere to fund government, and the obvious place would be from taxpayers, and they’d have to make up the difference. His expression is great.

Friday’s ad is another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1951. This a series of ads they did in 1951 using a Q&A format aimed at highlighting different positive aspects of beer and the brewing industry.

Q
How does the Brewing Industry compare to other industries as a taxpayer?

A
It ranks fourth in excise taxes alone, which amounts to almost $700,000,000 annually.

And as the ad points out, that’s in addition to “the many millions in property, income and corporation taxes paid” by breweries, not to mention state excise taxes.

Thursday’s ad is another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1951. This a series of ads they did in 1951 using a Q&A format aimed at highlighting different positive aspects of beer and the brewing industry.

Q
How much does the Brewing Industry pay in state excise taxes?

A
Last year, state excise taxes on beer amounted to over $193 million.

And that’s in addition to the over $700 million in federal excise taxes, plus all of the other business taxes that every business pays.

Wednesday’s ad is another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1951. This a series of ads they did in 1951 using a Q&A format aimed at highlighting different positive aspects of beer and the brewing industry.

Q
How much Federal excise tax has the Brewing Industry paid since Repeal?

A
More than 7 billion dollars — almost 1 1/2 billion in the past two years.

Trying to put that into perspective, they claim that this amount is twice what the U.S. government spent on the Marshall Plan. Perhaps more impressive, it’s apparently the “fourth largest amount paid by any industry.”

Thursday’s ad is another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, again from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. That “One-Sixth of a Nation Blowing Away!” is referring to the dust bowl of the midwest. But not to worry, it can all be saved, thanks to beer taxes — “a million dollars a day!”

Tuesday’s ad is yet another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, again from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. The worker, the taxman and the farmer are all saying “Thanks a Million!” for the over one million dollars paid in taxes each and every day by the beer industry. But I especially love this line. “Even the non-beer drinker enjoys beer’s economic benefits!”

Saturday’s ad is yet another one from the United Brewers Industrial Foundation, also from 1939. This was well before the “Beer Belongs” series, and just before World War II. This one ran in Life magazine, and is an extension of their earlier ads about how much taxes are paid by the brewing industry, over $1 million each day in 1939. And I love their reminder to the American people, with prohibition still fresh in everyone’s mind. “Yes, it’s a Fact: if beer didn’t pay a million dollars a day in taxes, the American taxpayer would have to find an extra million dollars a day to meet the costs of government!” And how about the look on the face of the man representing a typical American taxpayer, with his comically large glasses.