Hires To You headerThe Illustrated History of Hires Root Beer

1981 

IT HAPPENED IN…1981

The U.S. economy continued to weaken with inflation at 14%, unemployment at 7.4% and worsening, automobile production falling, and medical care costs rising 12.5%.

President Reagan was shot and underwent surgery for a wound to his left lung. 

Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The first space shuttle was launched.

The USDA responded to school lunch program cuts by counting ketchup as a “vegetable.”

1,726 U.S. soft drink bottling plants were in operation.

Although they sold the Hires brand in the United States in 1980, Crush International Inc. continued to own the rights to the Hires brand in Canada until 1984, so Hires was included when the “Mini-Indy Sweepstakes” was launched in the spring of 1981.  The illustrated poster pictures one of seven “mini-racer” one-third scale cars (3 horsepower motor with a fiberglass body) that served as the major prizes.  Thirty-six Tyco Super-Sound slot cars sets were the second prizes.  “Thousands of instant prizes” were available “under the cap or in the can” of both Crush and Hires bottles and cans.  The contest closed July 24, 1981.

(Figure 1981-01, paper poster)