In 1939, Robert R. Wechsler was a 26-year-old print salesman for promotion agency Einson-Freeman when he called on Philip Liebmann, the president of Liebmann Brewery and maker of Rheingold Beer, to show him samples of a new printing process Einson had developed for P-O-P displays.
The Miss Rheingold campaign that resulted from that initial conversation with Liebmann was one of the longest running and most successful promotions ever run. In Wechsler’s portfolio that day were photos of Jinx Falkenburg, a Chilean-born actress and tennis player. She became the first in a long line of beautiful “faces” identified with Rheingold beer.
It was Wechsler’s genius, however, that added a democratic twist to the spokeswoman role, as he launched an elaborate cross-country election promotion that uncovered a fresh crop of starlets each year until 1964. In 1952, the campaign drew 25 million votes.
Earlier this year, Wechsler recalled Miss Rheingold for Rod Taylor, a guest columnist for PROMO and VP of CoActive Marketing, who wrote about the campaign that launched Wechsler’s career in promotion (PROMO March). “Miss Rheingold was better known than Miss America,” Wechsler recalled proudly.
Wechsler retired from Einson Freeman in 1999 following a 63-year career. He passed away June 15 in Rye Brook, NY at the age of 90.
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