Wednesday, August 13, 2008

When Advertising Lied Harder: Schlitz Beer 1936.

(welcome to When Advertising Lied Harder, a new semi-regular feature on copyranter which will present retro ads that fibbed with glee.)
Like my girlfriend and I, did you choke down a case of awful Schlitz beer each and every week last winter? If you had, you'd be enjoying "sunny summer health" too. (click ad) "Beer is good for you—but Schlitz with Sunshine Vitamin D, is extra good for you." I guess post-Prohibition, mid-Great Depression beer ad claim vetting was handled by some low-level FDA drunkard. previous vintage beer ads: Bud 1934 ad; PBR's 1940s hipster pedigree; and Schaefer: the greatest slogan in the history beer.
(image via)

3 Comments:

Blogger warren said...

The missing ™ (as in Sunshine Vitamin D™) was really distracting. Conspicuous in its absence, you could say.

But was Schlitz really less honest than the makers of "energy drinks" and "sports drinks" are today?

Schlitz: Is It In You? (™)

2:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great idea - are you suffering that much from lack of fresh ads to pour over?
Let's have some of those wholesome tobacco ads while we're at it.

"Toasting makes Lucky Strike the healthy cigarette for you to smoke [...] prominent athletes have gone on record that this is so."

http://www.frankkryder.com/luckies.htm

10:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This jingle was burned into my young brain, as it ran many times during every ball game in New York in the mid-60's:
(sung to a rousing march)

Schaefer! is the!
one beer to have!
when you're having
more than one!

Schaefer! pleasure!
(bum-bum-bum-bum)
does-n't fade, even,
when your thirst is done!

The most rewarding flavor
in this Man's World,
for people who are having fun!

O, Schaefer! is the!
one beer to have!
when you're having
more than one!

(preferably a 12-pack, I guess; then go beat the wife for a while)
:(

1:05 AM  

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