Paul Stanley Beer Signs

Paul Stanley & Company, whose founder, Paul Stanley, started the most unique and cutting edge business in the late 1940’s at 180 First Street, San Francisco, CA. He became famous for designing large floor motion targeted advertising displays for beer companies
(Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Mother’s Cookies were also clients). These displays were of such size and scope that they left a real impact on consumers when displayed in stores.

These displays were large, very animated, often whimsical and mechanically simple in their design and construction. While they were individually designed and themed for each company; there was often some carry over between themes and construction. They are among the most unique advertising pieces ever designed and built.

There were many varied displays created by Paul Stanley’s company from the late 40’s to the late 60’s and were produced for various types of companies; from Mother’s Cookies to soft drink makers Coca Cola and Pepsi. Paul Stanley’s biggest clients, with the most different displays, were large regional brewing companies: Hamm’s, Lone Star, Storz and Burgermeister. While making these animated displays was quite costly, several smaller breweries had an account with Paul Stanley too. The smallest brewery, with only one display and the smallest production run (likely 10 pieces were ever produced) was Great Falls Select with the slogan: “First in Sales in Montana”.
Each display was crafted by hand, and even among like type units there could be slight variances found in design and function. Some similar or like-type displays would have additional pieces, differing bases or animal figures and slightly different colors. Sometimes this was due to design changes over the production life of that individual unit, but more often than not it was subject to availability of parts during the actual period of construction.

Few of each type of display were ever built. Generally speaking, and depending on the brand and unit, as few as 10 or as many as 40 individual pieces were produced; making each survivor a rare and entertaining treasure in the collecting world today. This method resulted in some one of a kind displays using mismatched parts, figures or pieces. Paul Stanley actually encouraged this as it didn’t matter to the end user since a store would get one piece at a time, usually on a rotating basis.

The Hamm’s Brewery was Paul Stanley’s biggest account during the 1960’s; with four distinct displays designed and built (one having two variations). The Helicopter display (pictured) is the most animated of the five, and stands approximately 6 ½ feet tall, with an operating circumference of around nine feet. The entire unit slowly revolves from the light up base (displaying three scenes of the Land of Sky Blue Waters), with the “helicopter” spinning independently from the base revolution, while the overhead prop and tail rotor turn. This is perhaps the ‘Ultimate’ in store displays and is both Classic and whimsical at the same time. It is a remarkable piece of motion advertising (see video) creative, unique, complex, and a classic and timeless piece. Other displays developed for Hamm’s were the Bear/Can Spinner, the Bear/Motorcycle, and the Bear/Log in two versions-the “Eastern” or “Northwoods” unit, and the “Western”. All of these units featured motion, as they revolved around a stationary base.

These displays were costly, even to the large companies purchasing them. As such they were moved frequently from store to store on a rotating basis in custom made crates (pictured).
The Paul Stanley Company aka “Merchandising in Motion” ceased operations in the late 1960’s. Paul Stanley, the company founder and designer whose name and legacy lives on with these amazing displays, passed away in the 1980’s.

Paul Stanley displays were often leased and moved around the country from store to store in custom made to fit wood shipping crates. Some stragglers were put into storage in whatever location they were at but most were returned to the company headquarters in San Francisco.
We recently acquired two Paul Stanley units in original condition with their shipping crates. The Lone Star Monkeys coming in two crates (one just for the base) and perhaps the rarest Paul Stanley Beer display: "The Cowboy" from The Great Falls Select "First in Sales in Montana".

These Paul Stanley displays incorporate a creativity and imagination, as well as excellent design, engineering and manufacturing, the likes of which has never been seen in point-of-purchase items produced then or now. These units were built to last, and were durable enough to not only to stand up to repeated use over the years of their expected lifetime, but are still timeless treasures today.