PBR Before There Were Any Retro-Seeking Hipsters

Daily Mail is sharing rare color photos taken during The Great Depression by Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information photographers. Most of the images reveal the true grit of the American people, but here’s one that shows us something else.

I’m not sure what Pabst means by “Blended 33 to 1″? But I am sure that a massive red, white and blue out-of-home advertisement that hundreds of thousands of blue collar and white collar workers see on their way to and from work everyday, plays on the psyche.

Also, note the early example of branded utility here–workers want to know when it’s beer thirty and Pabst provides.

Hat Tip: Make The Logo Bigger

About David Burn

I wrote my first ad for a local political candidate when I was 17 (she went on to win her race, and I felt the power of persuasive copy for the first time). Today, I live near Portland, Oregon and spend my days building brands for companies that matter.

  • Anonymous

    When everything was so grey and rusty looking, the blue and red really stood out above the industrial cityscape. 

  • http://twitter.com/MediaFiche MediaFiche

    Saw those pictures last week as well, and the PBR picture definitely caught my eye. Like Nick said, it certainly stands out against the backdrop.