Scanning Around with Gene: Drink Up to Summer!

Memorial Day is here and so it’s time to think summer and the usual activities that go with it. According to the Automobile Club, this summer may be more “stay-at-home” than usual thanks to rising gas prices. But that doesn’t mean you can’t partake in the rituals of the season. Like drinking, for example.
Summer means heat and heat means thirst. And that means the beverage makers kick into high gear to promote their various liquid refreshments. From soda pop to beer to the hard stuff, it’s all presented as an option for thirsty folks seeking relief.


I’m not actually sure the consumption of beverages goes up in summer—but it’s a pretty good guess it does. Longer days have people out more shopping, working, or enjoying an outdoor barbecue. All accompanied by your favorite beverage, preferably served over ice. And just in case you don’t think a shot of whisky or a glass of wine is cooling enough, you can always count on recipes like these, from various alcohol distributors.



Ice-cold beer has always been a summer staple, only these days you are less likely to see it paired with activities such as boating or picnicking.


But mostly summer is about Coke and Pepsi and Mountain Dew and whatever else the kids drink these days. A soda in one fist and a beach ball in the other — it doesn’t get much better than that.



Myself, I prefer a good bottle of plain water, but now that’s not green enough, plus there are those chemicals in the plastic to worry about. So I may have to switch to beer, which at least still comes in a glass bottle. Fortunately, living in California means it’s pretty easy to get Mexican Coke, which not only still comes in glass, but tastes a whole lot better than American Coke. And that is mucho bueno.

Gene Gable has spent a lifetime in publishing, editing and the graphic arts and is currently a technology consultant and writer. He has spoken at events around the world and has written extensively on graphic design, intellectual-property rights, and publishing production in books and for magazines such as Print, U&lc, ID, Macworld, Graphic Exchange, AGI, and The Seybold Report. Gene's interest in graphic design history and letterpress printing resulted in his popular columns "Heavy Metal Madness" and "Scanning Around with Gene" here on CreativePro.com.
  • Marso says:

    The Mexican coca cola is made the old way with sugar not fructose. I think they and alot of others soft drink manufactures switched to fructose as a cost saver. There may have been a tariff for imported cane sugar that pushed them to fructose. I have notices that a lot of small soft drink manufacturers are using cane sugar. I have been able to get the coca cola from Mexico at costco! and not have to go to Tecate. Thanks for your retros.
    Adios
    Marshall

  • dysonswift says:

    I’m curious about how images were produced in the Coke, 7up and “35 recipes” ads. These images seem to be either heavily retouched photos, or paintings made directly from photographs.

    Their look is common during that time, which was the beginning of our modern advertising era when you could not spend too much money getting things “perfect.”

    My guess is that giant silver prints from the ad shoot were handed over to a photorealiist illustrator (before the term photorealist was coined) who did a little or a lot of the final buffing.

    Any insight into Ye Olde Ways BPE (Before Photoshop Era)?

  • GeneGable says:

    In answer to dysonswift: Alienskin makes a terrific set of Photoshop filters called Exposure that mimic many of the old film stocks. Right now that’s the best way to get some of the colors of these old images. And you are right — many such images were airbrushed or even dye-retouched directly on the transparencies. I once worked with an old photo-re-toucher and what he could do to a transparency with a brush and some colored dyes was amazing. A lost art, for sure. But check out the Alienskin arsenal and I think you’ll find some pretty cool tools for achieving photo-realistic looks.

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