Remember those Burma Shave road signs on the highways in the 30s? Those days, the highways were like today’s country road, one lane for up traffic and the second lane for the down. For those who wanted to overtake, would have to wait till the road widened to include a short stretch third middle lane.

Anyway, Burma-Shave was a brand for brushless shaving cream and the company ran their ads as a series of 2 or 3 road signs. For example it would take 2 signs to complete the jingle:

Cheer up, face – the war is over! Burma-Shave

Here's more:

Does your husband / Misbehave / Grunt and grumble / Rant and rave / Shoot the brute some / Burma-Shave

A shave / That's real / No cuts to heal / A soothing / Velvet after-feel / Burma-Shave

Past / Schoolhouses / Take it slow / Let the little / Shavers grow / Burma-Shave

If you dislike / Big traffic fines / Slow down / Till you / Can read these signs / Burma-Shave

--xx

Needless to say, sales soared and in 1944, in keeping with their size the company ran this ad in Life magazine:

TOUGH-WHISKERED YANKS / IN HEAVY TANKS
HAVE JAWS AS SMOOTH / AS GUYS IN BANKS

I remember traveling country roads in the sixties. They still had Burma shave signs then. As kids we really enjoyed them. But I never saw any Burma shave for sale anywhere.

Some time in the 50s, Burma Shave was purchased by a B company who then merged with Phillip Morris who then phased out the brand name. I think it was a jingle that lost Burma Shave their public’s trust. Rather idiotic so I didn't mention it earlier:

'Free – free / a trip to Mars / for 900 / empty jars / Burma-Shave'

Now the empties were small half pound jars; junk actually; but there's always a collector, and this was a Mr. A French, one of the owners of the Red Owl grocery store chain. He submitted 900 empty jars; and Red Owl ran an advertisement in the papers.

'Shipped the 900 / Packed and ready for the Red planet - Red Owl "

The cream company replied with a counter ad:
"If a trip to Mars / you earn / remember, friend / there's no return."

(Almost all of the above is recorded. We don't have hard evidence for what follows)

Of course with public interest stirred, the Press contacted Red Owl for their response and then ran a headline

‘Owl, to sue Cream’

--xx

Now it gets unclear. Maybe the cream company imagined it, or saw a real lawsuit coming. If so, they should have admitted defeat - but after the Yank and Tank ad there was no escape. So they continued their gimmick with a picture of a town 'Moers' (pronounced "Mars") somewhere in Germany, inserted a sign with some jingle like:

Moers it is, offer stands; don't forget Burma Shave with your bags

Now imagine one is working as a cashier at Red Owl and a customer queries, 'So what happened on the vacation to Mars; or something'; and this ripples through the stores ...

what we do know is both sides went in for private negotiations
and the Press lost interest.

--xx
Business life as we know, is boring; no punchlines. Just some shadowy figures in a dark alley, sudden, silent punches.



As said, the original owners of Burma Shave went out of business. Red Owl expanded with many new 'Red Owl Family Centers'. This was in the 60s. I believe the last one was the Red Owl Family Canter in Pierre, South Dakota; built by second gen owner, Don Haggar.

But the story explains why some businessmen get into politics:

There are some parallels between Don Haggar's career and Donald Trump's. Haggar became a Republican congressman member of the South Dakota House of Representatives; his daughter Jenna Haggar, is now a sitting member in SD.

Unlike career politicians businessmen take it to the next level:
Don Haggar resigned from the Republican Party in 2017 and is now leader of the South Dakota chapter of Americans for Prosperity.

I remember some Red Owl stores around here. Seems they packed up and left, early seventies maybe, competition from larger chains?? . Could still be some in smaller towns around here.

Interesting story about the "Mars" trip. Never heard that before.

So the "Burma shave" signs I'd seen in the early sixties must have just been left-overs that nobody ever picked up??

Some nice spots / we left over / for store or gas station ... / Burma Shave



Was surprised, people have made sentimental videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8Ggaq-Kc4