If you’re feeling patriotic this 4th of July weekend, you might be tempted to grab a case of Samuel Adams, arguably the most patriotic resident of the beer aisle. Being a naive consumer, I assumed the beer company dated back to the American Revolution, or had some connection to the historical Sam Adams, or both.
Wrong. Samuel Adams beer was founded in 1984. Clever marketing though.
Turns out it’s a familiar strategy for companies to play to our fond recollections of our founding fathers.
- John Hancock Insurance – founded in 1862, with no connection to John Hancock.
- The Paul Revere Corporation – founded in 1895, with no connection to Paul Revere.
- Ben Franklin stores – founded in 1877, with no connection to Ben Franklin.
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners – founded in the 1980s
- Franklin Templeton Investments – founded in 1947
- Jefferson Insurance Company – founded in 2007
- Nathan Hale Gardens – founded 1991
- Lincoln (car company) – founded in 1917
There are probably a lot more examples. Patronize these companies and get in the American spirit!
I did find one company still in operation, Revere Copper Products, that was founded by Mr. Revere himself way back in 1801. And apparently there is a George Washington Coffee company, founded by a George C. Washington, a distant relative of the first president who wanted to capitalize on the famous name. And why not? Not like he’s using it anymore.
In other news, I was really surprised during my time in Costa Rica to see the Jorge Washington elementary school in the small town of San Ramon. I don’t believe Washington ever visited Costa Rica. The world’s first international celebrity?
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I don’t think that Samuel Adams brewing company was attempting to deceive you in any way, in fact its pretty ignorant to think that they were attempting to fool anybody. Commercials for the company mention straightaway that Koch had founded the company in the ’84, and as far as drinking a ‘patriotic’ beer on the Fourth of July, I can think of perhaps 1,000 better ways to show your patriotism on this day. Visit a parade, a funeral, honor those soldiers dead and alive, just for a few. Really the only individuals who are ‘fooled’ by something that never claimed to be what you yourself assumed it to be (some ancient beer dating to the revolutionary period that would somehow connect you to this period?) are just that; fools.
What’s more, the guy on the label actually bears no resemblance to the glum and dumpy looking patriot.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CsNA.....+adams.jpg
Eugh, would you really drink something with that face on it? That’s why they chose to use a handsome patriot, loosely based on the likeness of Mr. Paul Revere:
http://api.ning.com/files/zEEa.....wCqoBisRZE*5SCMyvlTopBIVHZuy-Kj-lA/479pxJ_S_Copley__Paul_Revere.jpg
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