This collection consists of a single scrapbook of proofsheets and photo proofs from DFS's advertising campaign for Falstaff Beer in the period 1945 1946.
The advertisements center around three distinct themes. The first and most comprehensive features a salute to "The Men Who Keep Faith with America." These ads contain handsome black and white woodcut illustrations depicting men at work in a wide variety of occupations, accompanied by a text which emphasizes each occupation's contribution to the war effort. Some of the occupations featured include: railroad workers, telephone linemen, grocers, policemen, laborers, design engineers, construction workers, white collar workers, bus drivers, doctors, farmers, bakers, steel workers, cowboys, machinists, newspapermen, and auto mechanics. Interestingly, this campaign does include a few women newspaperwomen.
The second theme treated in this scrapbook features returning veterans, who have earned the right to relax and enjoy the bounty of America. They are depicted in a variety of social scenes, such as at parties or at the beach.
The final theme concerns tie ins for the "Falstaff Show" on radio. These also feature Americans enjoying their rights to relaxation and depict men and women playing tennis and baseball, bowling, fishing, etc.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The DFS (Dancer, Fitzgerald Sample) Advertising Agency was a New York based firm organized in 1923. One of their clients was the Falstaff Brewing Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri. DFS was merged into the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency in mid 1987.
In 1917, Joseph Griesedieck founded the Griesedieck Beverage Company after purchasing the small Forest Park Brewing Company plant in St. Louis. During Prohibition, the company changed its name to the Falstaff Corporation, and produced soft drinks and near beer. Towards the end of Prohibition, the name was again changed, to the Falstaff Brewing Corporation. The company received the first Federal permit issued when brewing was made legal again in 1933. In 1935 the company was among the first to pioneer the concept of multiple breweries in several cities. By 1973 it was among the top ten American breweries in terms of sales. It was purchased by the General Brewing Company in 1977.
Provenance:
The scrapbook was discovered in a records storage center in New York and was donated to the Archives Center by the archivist of the Procter & Gamble Company in 1989.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
