Advertising With A Chess Theme

Chess is so much a part of our culture that chess terms are frequently used metaphorically: stalemate, the "global chessboard," etc. Not surprisingly, this motif was used in advertising during the hot and cold wars of the mid-20th century.

In the days before television invaded our homes, games were a common form of entertainment. It even became a popular motif in advertising, especially for alcohol and tobacco products. Among certain people, chess has the aura of intellectualism, the "smart" thing to do. (Chessplayers know better.) That image is reflected in the consumer-oriented ads. Advertisers are copy-cats, of course. So as soon as one agency began a campaign with a chess theme, other agencies no doubt quickly followed suit.

Note the preponderance of ads for alcoholic beverages. Do you play better when you’re drinking?

Included here is a promotional shot for a popular television show of the 1970s, "Charlie's Angels." Draw your own conclusions about the meaning of that one.

A Note On The Images

I collected these images from eBay auctions. The quality isn't always what I would have liked, but I felt it was valuable to create a collection that showed the widespread influence of chess in our culture. To enhance this collection, I'd appreciate a copy of any similar JPG or GIF image you may have.

Click on the thumbnail images to see larger versions.

Okonite Co.	Douglas Aircraft	Bohn Aluminum & Steel
Old Gold Cigarettes	Carling's Brewery	Stouffer's
Pepsi-Cola	Old Grand Dad	Hunter Distillers
Miller Beer	Charlie’s Angels	Italian Meat Trading Card

Wine Importer’s Ad	Highland Queen Scotch