The Art of Motion
Paul Stanley
Beer Signs
Preserving the Lost Art of Motion Advertising in Beer
Discover the rare, whimsical, handcrafted animated displays created by Paul Stanley for some of America’s most recognizable beer brands.
The Artist Behind the Motion
Long before digital screens transformed retail advertising, Paul Stanley created displays that moved, entertained, and stopped shoppers in their tracks. His handcrafted animated creations brought characters and brands to life inside American stores during the golden age of motion advertising.
“Who Was Paul Stanley?”
For more than three decades, Paul Stanley helped shape the golden age of brewery advertising through his extraordinary animated beer signs and mechanical displays. Working with some of the nation’s most recognizable breweries, including Hamm’s, Burgermeister, Burgie, Lone Star, and Storz, he created eye-catching displays that entertained shoppers while promoting America’s favorite beers. Today, these rare handcrafted signs are prized by breweriana collectors and stand as lasting examples of the artistry and innovation that made Paul Stanley a legend in advertising history.
Currently on Tap
Created for Burgermeister Beer’s iconic “Take Home Burgie” campaign, the Burgie Clown is one of Paul Stanley’s most recognizable animated advertising displays. Designed to entertain while promoting the Burgermeister brand, the cheerful clown used colorful artwork and mechanical motion to draw shoppers into stores and create a memorable advertising experience. Today, surviving examples are highly prized by breweriana collectors, representing the creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation that made Paul Stanley’s animated beer signs legendary.
Created for Hamm’s Beer in an era when store displays were designed to move, entertain, and capture attention, the Hamm’s Beer Bear Helicopter is a playful example of Paul Stanley’s talent for combining character, motion, and imagination. Featuring the beloved Hamm’s bear piloting his own helicopter, the animated display brought the brand’s fun-loving personality to life and gave shoppers a reason to stop and watch.
Handcrafted for retail promotion, surviving examples are rare reminders of a time when beer advertising was more than something hanging on the wall—it was a show.
Created for Lone Star Beer during the golden age of animated advertising, the Lone Star Monkeys display is a playful example of Paul Stanley’s imagination and mechanical artistry. Featuring two mischievous monkeys climbing over an oversized Lone Star Beer can, the animated display was designed to capture shoppers’ attention through movement, humor, and unforgettable character design. Handcrafted with Stanley’s signature blend of illustration, engineering, and animation, surviving examples are now rare treasures celebrated by breweriana collectors as outstanding pieces of mid-century advertising history.
More Than Signs — Mechanical Works of Art
Paul Stanley & Co mechanical “Burgie” clown store display
The Take Home Burgie Clown is a rare, life-size mechanical store display created by Paul Stanley & Co. in the 1960s to promote Burgie Beer. Standing approximately 87 inches tall, the colorful clown features playful mechanical motion, with his upper body moving as rotating six-packs balance on his feet above a light-up drum base. Designed to command attention in a busy retail environment, the display transformed a simple beer advertisement into entertainment, combining movement, character, and a touch of showmanship. More than just a store sign, the Burgie Clown is a remarkable surviving example of an era when imaginative mechanical displays made products nearly impossible to ignore.
These were not ordinary advertisements. Each display combined illustration, mechanical movement, character design, and engineering to capture attention in a way static signs could not. Many were produced in extremely limited numbers. Some may be among the last surviving examples of their kind.
Paul Stanley’s Clown Designs
The clown was one of the most iconic and enduring characters in the Paul Stanley Company’s whimsical stable of creations. Dressed in his signature outfit of bold black and red dots, with oversized shoes and a distinctively odd-shaped head, this clown became a point-of-sale legend.
Perched high above the crowd, he was often seen spinning atop a giant drum—its surface customized with different product logos. Paul Stanley’s genius can be seen in how this single character was adapted for major brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, and Burgermeister Beer, with additional designs prepared for others like Utica Club (as seen in the surviving color design).
Though nearly identical in appearance across campaigns, each clown featured subtle variations tailored to the brand. For example, the Coca-Cola version incorporated a radio in its back, while others were designed to spin bottles or cans of the featured beverage. These small but inventive touches showcased Stanley’s unmatched creativity and his flair for turning advertising into spectacle.
The Hunt Continues
Paul Stanley displays were produced in extremely limited quantities, and many have disappeared over the decades.
Do you own one? Have you seen one?
We are actively searching for Paul Stanley displays, signs, sketches, photographs, documents, and related materials.
We buy collections and individual pieces. We arrange pickup and pay shipping.
* Photo courtesy of Helmut Jordt