Canada Dry Beverages Ad – May 5, 1955

Canada Dry Ginger Ale has been a favorite topic for me on this blog.

Why? Because my original 2013 write-up on the former Canada Dry Ginger Ale bottling plant facility on Colorado Avenue is my second most visited post of all time. That's more than 23,000 hits!

Actually, the hits are more likely related to the business that was located in the former plant: the Corner Store model railroad shop. Nevertheless, I like Canada Dry Ginger Ale (although I have  a six-pack of Vernors in the fridge right now) and enjoy writing about its advertising.

Speaking of which, here's a large ad for Canada Dry that ran in the Lorain Journal back on May 5, 1955. 

It's interesting that it's not advertising the famous ginger ale. It's promoting large bottles of the Canada Dry family of beverage flavors: root beer, 'true fruit' black cherry, imitation grape soda, and 'true fruit' orange. 

Here's a color magazine ad from 1955 giving us a good luck at the color scheme.

There was indeed something for every consumer's tastes: ginger ale, cola, root beer, cream soda, black cherry, orange and lemon-lime (their version was called Hi-Spot). And of course the famous mixers.

Here's another magazine ad, from only a few years later – 1961.

Looking at the ad, it's fascinating how much the Canada Dry advertising changed in so short a time. The little illustrations of formally dressed people were out – and photography was in. 

And the focus of the ad was different. It's not just a variety of flavors that was being promoted. Now, the ad was selling youth, a feeling, an attitude, a way of life.

Welcome to modern advertising.