New Seniors

The demise of hometown breweries across the country took place in the fifty years following the end of WWII. For instance, there are still a handful of traditional breweries operating around Pennsylvania along with scores of micro-breweries. But most of the suds consumed in the state bare national or imported labels.

Two factors were responsible for the rise of a few brands and the demise of most others: technology and the change in distribution patterns. Modernization of plant facilities and brewing techniques left some brewers at a disadvantage. However, the biggest change was in the way beer moved through the distribution channels.

Beer is still popular on draft at bars and restaurant, but most of the beverage is sold in cans and bottles through retail outlets and consumed in the home. A few states, like Pennsylvania, do not allow beer to be sold through supermarkets where, nationally, most packaged brews are sold. This notwithstanding, big breweries got bigger by purchasing smaller ones and expanding their distribution through the routes previously serviced by the one being bought out. Eventually the brand(s) produced by the prevailing brewer replaced the others labels.

That’s what happened in the marketplace; but I can recall the early days of television when the beer category was a big advertiser. In my hometown, dozens of brands vied for consumer attention. Esslinger, Gretz, Valley Forge and the big brand Schmidt’s of Philadelphia were all products of the city. From surrounding cities came Old Reading and Sunshine. Horlacher and Neuweiler were from Allentown, Stegmaier from Wilkes-Barre plus the only remaining area brewer still in business, Yuengling of Pottsville.

Pittsburgh contributed to the choices available to Philadelphians with Iron City, Duquesne and Fort Pitt plus Rolling Rock from nearby Latrobe. Newark, New Jersey sent us Ballantine while Schaefer and Piels traveled from New York City. The Chesapeake Bay area brought us Gunther and National Bohemian. Rounding out the choices were the so-called national beers: Budweiser, Miller Highlife, Pabst and Schlitz were the prominent brands.

Think back to the ‘60s and before and see if you can remember the names of the beer sold in your town. It doesn’t matter if you drank beer, everyone was exposed to newspaper, radio, TV and billboard ads that promoted these names as they battled for brand supremacy. It was all part of an era when many breweries seemed to have a personal relationship with their customers, who were also their neighbors.

Don Potter: Editor-in-Chief

Don Potter, a veteran of the ad agency business, is a Philadelphia native currently living in Los Angeles. He is the author of an acclaimed marketing book, The 50+ Boomer: Your Key to 76 Million Consumers. In retirement, Potter has written two novels, hundreds of articles and is a frequent lecturer. A leading advocate for those 65+, he is a founder of NewSeniors.com.

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