The image above is a Budweiser advertisement from 1959. I found this interesting because this ad holds a completely different meaning than the beer ads we are used to seeing now. This ad has a general sense of being upscale and high class. I think part of the reason for this is that we tend to associate things that look vintage as being ritzy and sophisticated. The dull colors, old school beer tap and lamp on the wall are all signs of classic or vintage items. This is an extreme contrast to the ads we typically see that show half naked women with “come hither” looks or guys with beer bellies lounging around watching football. These vast differences show how culture has changed in the last 50 years.
The bartender’s appearance also gives the impression of high class. White suits and combed hair are signifiers of wealth. We can tell the “suit” is actually a tuxedo because of his bow tie and the lapels on the jacket, which gives him an even more distinguished look. Note that the bartender is wearing a wedding ring, which the advertisers may have included to show he was not only sophisticated but also a wholesome family man.
Obviously ads are used to argue that the viewer or customer should buy their product, but this ad goes beyond the general argument. This Budweiser ad is making the argument that the most glamorous people drink Budweiser, and if you drink their beer it will make you appear as glamorous as well.
I really love this blog post and really think it takes a good and complete look at the advertisement displayed. It is of the most classy and sophisticated look, while selling Budweiser, which like stated above is not what we see today. This is a great object in my opinion to read, because where in life do we see beer now? Parties in basements, Facebook pictures, old smashed beer cans on the side of the street after being dropped by a completely hammered individual, or in a commercial appealing to those younger then 21. This appeals to the sophisticated family man and is completely different than anything we are used to seeing now-a-days. It is fun to see this is what beer adds used to look like compared to the alluring, non-classy things we see now.
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