Hires To You headerThe Illustrated History of Hires Root Beer

1971 

IT HAPPENED IN…1971

Cigarette advertising on radio and television was banned effective January 1, 1971.

The U.S. continued to disengage from combat in Vietnam.

Unemployment rose to 6%, inflation was above 4% for the year, and U.S. imports exceeded exports for the first time during the Twentieth Century. 

The average U.S. taxpayer gave the government $400 for defense, $125 to fight the Vietnam War, $40 for highway construction, $30 for space exploration, and $315 for health activities ($7 for medical research).

A Southern California earthquake killed 65 and caused $500 million in property damage.

The U.S. Postal Service was reorganized as a semi-independent corporation.

Congress authorized a federal bailout of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.

Newly introduced products and inventions included soft contact lenses, e-books, karaoke machines, and the Intel 4004 microchip.

2,832 U.S. soft drink bottling plants were in operation.

This window decal measures 8.0" wide.

(Figure 1971-01, window decal, front)

(Figure 1971-01, window decal, back)

(1971-02, tin sign with blackboard, 19.25” x 21.25””)

(Figure 1971-03, pinback button, 3.0” diameter)

(Figure 1971-03.5, pinback button, 3.0” diameter)

(Figure 1971-04, paper sign, 22.0” x 9.0”)

(Figure 1971-05, paper sign, 18.0” x 12.0”)

Surprisingly, the glass-bottomed, aluminum tankards offered in this promotion did not bear a Hires logo or an advertising slogan.

(Figure 1971-05.5, Good Housekeeping advertisement, 8.0” x 10.5”)

Beverages International, Inc. assigned item No. 4450-C (for calendar) to this vacuum-formed plastic wall calendar.

(Figure 1971-06, 3-D plastic calendar, 13.75” tall x 6.0” wide x 1.0” thick)

This vacuum-formed plastic wall thermometer shared the same design as the calendar and was assigned item No. 4450-T (for thermometer).

(Figure 1971-06.5, 3-D plastic thermometer, 13.75” tall x 6.0” wide x 1.0” thick)

(Figure 1971-07, plastic pocket protector)

Each of these aluminum thermometers is 12.0” in diameter.

(Figure 1971-08, aluminum thermometer)

(Figure 1971-09, aluminum thermometer)

(Figure 1971-10, aluminum thermometer)

A 16.0” square, electric wall clock with the identical “TAKE Hires ROOT BEER” wording and mug image was also produced.

(Figure 1971-12, plastic litter bag)

(Figure 1971-12.3, celluloid pinback button, 3.5" diameter)

Space was left at the top of these two pinbacks for an employee's name to be added. 

(Figure 1971-12.5, celluloid pinback button, 3.0" diameter)

This similar style celluloid pinback button was designated as Hires item number 7813.

(Figure 1971-12.8, celluloid pinback button, 3.0" diameter)

(Figure 1971-13, plastic, electric wall clock, 16.0" x 16.0" x 1.5")

(Figure 1971-13.5, Waltham wristwatch in shipping case)

(Figure 1971-14, glass mug, 5.0" tall x 3.0" base diameter)

The base of this light aqua, 28 ounce, No Deposit - No Return, Applied Color Label bottle bears a date code indicating the bottle was manufactured in 1971.  Otherwise the label contains design elements seemingly randomly chosen from multiple years.  The label states "BOTTLED UNDER AUTHORITY OF HIRES DIVISION, BEVERAGES INTERNATIONAL INC. EVANSVILLE, ILLINOIS" even though the "Hires Division" name had been dropped several years earlier.  Reference to "Genuine" Hires Root Beer stopped after 1969 and re-started again in 1974, yet this 1971 bottle has "Genuine" as part of the logo.  The vertical lines continue the background "wood grain" effect initiated in 1969. 

(Figure 1971-15, No Deposit - No Return 28 ounce ACL bottle)

This 1972 cardboard wall calendar with a pad of daily, tear-off pages was distributed in late 1971.  It measures 12.0" x 7.5" x 1.125".

(Figure 1971-16, daily wall calendar)

In addition to issuing a new calendar, the vacuum-formed plastic wall thermometers were updated with a standard logo replacing the bottle cap design.  "The Honest Root Beer" wording was deleted, and this thermometer measures temperatures from -40° to +120° while the previous version measured from 0° to +120°.  The printing along the bottom edge reads "HIRES ROOT BEER IS A REG. TDMK. OF BEVERAGES INTERNATIONAL INC., EVANSTON, ILL.  NO. 4440."  The illustrated example has yellowed with age.  

(Figure 1971-17, 3-D plastic thermometer, 14.0” x 6.5”)