Hires To You headerThe Illustrated History of Hires Root Beer

1928 

IT HAPPENED IN…1928

Herbert Hoover was elected President over New York Governor Alfred E. Smith.

During the 1920s golf expanded with over 5,000 courses established in the United States.

Newly introduced products and inventions included air-conditioning for buildings, helicopters, penicillin, pap smear testing, tuberculosis vaccine, Gerber baby foods, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, bread slicers, bubble gum, and yo-yo’s.

Six-pack soft drink cartons were introduced widely as a merchandising feature.

7,800 U.S. soft drink bottling plants were in operation.  Per capita consumption was 50.5 bottles.

Bradshaw Crandell’s rendering of an attractive young lady (see Figure 1925-06) graced the cover of the 10 page Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST: 

(Figure 1928-01, Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST, front cover)

The Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST title page promoted an etched Hires glass that had been updated with a syrup line (compare with Figure 1925-08), suggesting dealers “SERVE Hires Nature’s Delicious Drink IN THE BEAUTIFUL ARISTOCRATIC HIRES GLASS WITH SHAVED OR FINELY CHIPPED ICE.”  The back cover included this illustration of the glass along with accompanying advertising copy and pricing information:

(Figure 1928-01, Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST, back cover)

The Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST also promoted advertising materials:

Your customers know what they are getting when you serve the genuine Hires and display Hires advertising matter.

Let them know that in your store the best is served.

Advertising matter gladly sent free on request so that you can cash in on our ever increasing local and national advertising.  Millions of dollars have been spent to tell people to call for pure, healthful Hires – made from the juices of roots, barks and berries.

(Figure 1928-01, Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST, strip signs)

The Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST specifies syrup jars were loaned to dealers without charge.  This was Hires’ final advertisement mentioning or picturing syrup jars.

(Figure 1928-01, Hires FOUNTAIN RECIPES and 1928 PRICE LIST, syrup jars)

This double-sided paper ticket was good for a free stein of Hires Root Beer, “Nature’s Delicious Drink.”  Hires sent these tickets to dealers who added their store’s name and address and then distributed the tickets to potential customers.

(Figure 1928-02, free stein ticket, front, 5.0” x 1.75”)

(Figure 1928-02, free stein ticket, back, 5.0” x 1.75”)

Having partnered with the Frigidaire Corporation in late 1927 to expand Hires' Iceless Drinking Water Service, an 8 page booklet promoting this business venture was distributed in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City areas.  Here's the front cover, three sample pages, and the back cover. 

(Figure 1928-03, Hires Iceless Drinking Water Service booklet)

June, 1928 advertisements quietly introduced a major change, with the price of bottles of Hires Household Extract raised from 25¢ to 30¢ each.  In an apparent attempt to soften this news to readers who noted the price increase, the copywriter compared Hires’ cost of 1.5¢ per bottle with “the usual 15¢ to 25¢ for bottled beverages.”  This comparison wasn’t factual, as most other soft drinks were priced at 5¢ or at the most 10¢ per bottle.  Submitting the incorporated coupon included at the bottom of the advertisement resulted in the receipt of a free three ounce size bottle of Hires Household Extract.

(Figure 1928-04, The Ladies’ Home Journal, June 1928)

This celluloid pencil clip pictures a Hires Household Extract carton.

(Figure 1928-05, celluloid pencil clip)

The illustration used with the advertisement that ran in the June, 1928 issue of The Ladies’ Home Journal was replaced, and the text slightly revised for this advertisement placed in the July, 1928 issue.

(Figure 1928-06, The Ladies’ Home Journal, July 1928)

A July, 1928 Philadelphia newspaper article was headlined “Hires’ Sale Gains 100 P.C.”  The writer stated “Charles E. Hires, president of the Charles E. Hires Company, of Philadelphia, reports ‘as of June 30 a remarkable gain for the first three-quarters of our fiscal year.’  Mr. Hires credits the recent introduction of new larger containers which increased sales nearly 100 percent over last year.  Hires also shows an increase of 20 percent in employment.”

Also in July 1928, this colorful and much more sophisticated-looking advertisement was placed in Pictorial Review, another major women’s magazine.   

(Figure 1928-07, Pictorial Review, July 1928)

Once again an illustration was replaced and accompanying copy revised slightly for this advertisement placed in the September, 1928 issue of The Ladies’ Home Journal.

(Figure 1928-08, The Ladies’ Home Journal, September 1928)

For the fiscal year ending September 30, 1928, Hires reported sales of $3,333,708.  The company produced a $552,524 net profit, for a 16.57% profit margin.  Hires’ annual sales significantly exceeded Pepsi-Cola’s 1928 total of $2,270,000.  Coca-Cola’s 1928 sales, however, were over ten times those of Hires, totaling $34,750,000.  The Moody’s Manual of Investments for 1928 provided this snapshot view of Hires:

HIRES CO. (THE CHARLES E.): Incorporated under Delaware laws in 1920.  Engaged in manufacture and distribution of beverages, including root beer, syrups, extracts, carbonated soft drinks and “Purock” distilled water.  Products distributed through 4,000 jobbers and bottlers and sold by approximately 300,000 dealers in United States and Canada.  Owns capital stock of Charles E. Hires Co., Ltd., Hires Co. of Houston, Tex., and Hires Sugar Co. of Cardenas with a sugar mill in Cuba.  Plants located at Philadelphia, Pa., Houston, Tex., Toronto, Can. and Cardenas, Cuba…

Capital Stock:

1. Charles E. Hires Co. class A common: Authorized 90,000 shares; outstanding 84,952 shares; in treasury, 5,048 shares…

2. Charles E. Hires Co., class B common: Authorized, and outstanding 90,000 shares.

3. Charles E. Hires Co., management stock: Authorized and outstanding, 3,872 shares…Management stock is all owned by the Hires family. 

Hires began marketing directly to school children in late 1928.  The two front panels of this bi-fold publication distributed to schools featured Pleasants Self-Finder Map of the World and recipes to take home to mother.

(Figure 1928-09, Hires' Educational Department bi-fold brochure, front panels)

At least two editions of Hires Extract carton inserts were used during 1928.  One repeated the illustration of the young woman pictured on the front panel of Hires' Educational Department bi-fold brochure, while this version pictured a child holding a glass of root beer:

(Figure 1928-10, Hires Extract carton insert, cover)

In addition to directions and precautions for making Hires Root Beer and Ginger Ale at home, and drink recipes, carton inserts offered crown caps at 40¢ per gross, an Eveready Capper for $1.50, and a Sparklet Syphon for $7.50.  A “Sparker” (CO2 cartridge) was inserted into the syphon head attachment to charge and carbonate the bottle’s contents.  The bottle’s chain mail covering was a safety precaution in the event the bottle exploded.

(Figure 1928-11, Hires Extract carton insert, Sparklet Syphon offer)