Thanksgiving advertising

Special Retro Thanksgiving Ad: Budweiser, 1953

Thanksgiving is upon us – our national holiday dedicated to giving thanks, enjoying friends and family, and eating with reckless abandon. The fact you may be wearing elastic-waist pants doesn’t imply your standards have lowered. Just the opposite: your inner gourmand is simply prepared for a day of elevated feasting.

This Budweiser ad from 1953 shows us that, even six decades ago, folks felt the same way. These floating heads may not have bodies, but they do have the culinary wherewithal to know that if they’re going to serve beer, it’s “bound to be Bud.” Kidding aside, while the disembodied heads are awkward by today’s standards, they do zero in on the festive spirit the holiday – and the beer – evokes.

The copy reinforces this message:

“You know you’ll please everybody when you serve Budweiser… the beer produced by the costliest brewing process known. There is no other way to create the distinctive taste that has pleased more people, by far, than any other beer in history. Serve Budweiser today.”

FUN FACT: Beer was the main source of hydration aboard the Mayflower. Since plain water wouldn’t stay drinkable, and beer was far less perishable, it was the ideal choice. In fact, some historians believe the reason the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth in the first place was that their beer supply was running low. (Source: NY Daily News)

 

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