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22-AUG-2025 | Claude Hopkins’ “Perfection of 50 years” Schlitz Beer Ad

Author

Dan Bogachek
August 22, 2025

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Claude Hopkins’ “Perfection of 50 years” Schlitz Beer Ad

Perfection of 50 Years

Back of each glass of Schlitz Beer there is an experience of fifty years.

In 1848, in a hut, Joseph Schlitz began brewing. Not beer like Schlitz beer of today; but it was honest. It was the best beer an American had ever brewed.

This great brewery today has new methods. A half century has taught us perfection. But our principles are 50 years old; our aims are unaltered. Schlitz beer is still brewed, without regard to expense, according to the best that we know.

…
[The principles]
…

Ask for beer, and you get the beer that best suits your dealer. He may care more for his profit than your health.

Ask for Schlitz, and you get the best beer the world ever knew. 🏁 

A great example of story and legacy.

It’s not about the 50 years.

The 50 years justifies all the stuff that makes Schlitz untouchable in this ad.

Of course, we’re not familiar with this old beer company. But how would you contest these claims if say, Coors or Heineken made them? You probably couldn’t.

Make incontestable claims unique to yourself. In doing so, you play a game only you know the rules to, and only you can win. You are, after all, talking about it after the fact at the finish line.

That’s what this is.

See also: Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why.”

Repetition to create a setup-punchline on that last “Ask for” couplet. Focused entirely on “you.” These three sentences alone are especially brilliant.

Grade 3 on the Hemingway App.