One of my favorite pre-prohibition brewery advertising items features a bulldog guarding an ABC brand beer bottle with the slogan “Watching a good Thing”. In the early 1900’s The American Brewing Company based out of St. Louis, MO had an extensive campaign which illustrated a story of the bulldog protecting their owner’s bottle of ABC beer while the owner was away.
This particular sign shown here is in the shape of a dog house and includes a linked chain from the house to the collar on the dog’s neck. The attached metal nameplates contain language with the advertising slogan “Watching a good Thing” and it also states the breweries name on it. The doghouse itself is made of wood and includes shingles, while the circular sign insert is tin. Because the shingles are delicate, it is very difficult to locate this sign with all of the shingles still attached. The chain is oftentimes missing also whenever one of these signs are found today.
The American Brewing Company was one of the first breweries in the United States to market their product extensively outside of the United States. The company was very proud of this fact, and even included some of the markets they served on other advertising pieces the produced. Some of the markets the ABC beer brand was sold in include Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Canada, and Egypt. I have found some beautiful early pieces of ABC advertising in Alaska, Nova Scotia and the Yukon areas of Canada in the past.
The American Brewing Company produced another self-framed tin sign and a large Mettlach stein with the same dog watching over the bottle design on them. There is also a postcard set from the 1910 era with a series of views showing the bulldog chasing a man over a fence who had attempted to steal their owners ABC beer. This campaign was probably similarly successful when compared to the more recent use of the Spuds McKenzie dog by The Anheuser-Busch company, proving time and time again the use of man’s best friend will more often than not produce a very successful advertising campaign.
While prohibition ended the glory years for the ABC brand and also ended the bulldog advertising campaign, the brand did come back to life after prohibition was repealed and was brewed until approximately 1940. However, the brand never had the same success it did prior to prohibition, and the brewery was eventually sold off and the brand discontinued not long after prohibition ended. Today collectors can still find great advertising pieces from the brewery including items featuring the popular bulldog to add to their advertising collections.