1940s Burma-Shave tube and box
History
Burma-Shave was introduced in 1925 by the Burma-Vita company, owned by Clinton Odell. The company's original product was a liniment made of ingredients described as coming "from the Malay Peninsula and Burma." Demand was sparse, and the company sought to expand sales by introducing a product with wider appeal.
The result was the famous Burma-Shave advertising sign program, and sales took off. At its peak, Burma-Shave was the second-highest selling brushless shaving cream in the United States. Sales declined in the 1950's, and in 1963 the company was sold to Phillip Morris. The signs were removed at that time. The brand decreased in visibility and eventually became the property of the American Safety Razor Company.
In 1997, the American Safety Razor Company reintroduced the Burma-Shave brand, including a nostalgic shaving soap and brush kit. In fact, the original Burma-Shave was a brushless shaving cream, and Burma-Shave's own roadside signs frequently ridiculed "Grandpa's old-fashioned shaving brush."
Roadside billboards
Set of signs promoting Burma-Shave, on U.S. Route 66.
Burma-Shave sign series appeared from 1925 to 1963 in most of the contiguous United States. The exceptions were New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada (deemed to have insufficient road traffic), and Massachusetts (eliminated due to that state's high land rentals and roadside foliage). Typically, six consecutive small signs would be posted along the edge of highways, spaced for sequential reading by passing motorists. The last sign was almost always the name of the product. The signs were originally produced in two color combinations: red-and-white and orange-and-black, though the latter was eliminated after a few years. A special white-on-blue set of signs was developed for South Dakota, which restricted the color red on roadside signs to official warning notices.
This use of the billboard was a successful advertising gimmick during the early years of the automobile, drawing attention and passers-by who were curious to discover the punchline. As the Interstate system expanded in the late 1950s and vehicle speeds increased, it became more difficult to attract motorists' attention with small signs. When the company was acquired by Phillip Morris, the signs were discontinued on advice of counsel.
Some of the signs, instead of directly advertising the shaving cream, featured public safety messages (usually about speeding).
Examples of Burma-Shave advertisements are at The House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Re-creations of Burma-Shave sign sets also appear on Arizona Highway 66, part of the original U.S. Route 66, between Seligman and Kingman, Arizona (though they weren't installed there by Burma-Shave during its original campaigns) and on Old U.S. Highway 30 near Ogden, Iowa. Another example is shown at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan.
Examples
The complete list of the 600 or so known sets of signs is listed in Sunday Drives and in the last part of The Verse by the Side of the Road. The content of the earliest signs is lost, but it is believed that the first recorded signs, for 1927 and soon after, are close to the originals. The first ones were prosaic advertisements. Generally the signs were printed with all capital letters. The style shown below is for readability:
Shave the modern way / No brush / No lather / No rub-in / Big tube 35 cents - Drug stores / Burma-Shave
As early as 1928, the writers were displaying a puckish sense of humor:
Takes the "H" out of shave / Makes it save / Saves complexion / Saves time and money / No brush - no lather / Burma-Shave
In 1929, the prosaic ads began to be replaced by actual verses on four signs, with the fifth sign merely a filler for the sixth:
Every shaver / Now can snore / Six more minutes / Than before / By using / Burma-Shave
Your shaving brush / Has had its day / So why not / Shave the modern way / With / Burma-Shave
Previously there were only two to four sets of signs per year. 1930 saw major growth in the company, and 19 sets of signs were produced. The writers recycled a previous joke. They continued to ridicule the "old" style of shaving. And they began to appeal to the wives as well:
Cheer up face / The war is past / The "H" is out / Of shave / At last / Burma-Shave
Shaving brushes / You'll soon see 'em / On the shelf / In some / Museum / Burma-Shave
Does your husband / Misbehave / Grunt and grumble / Rant and rave / Shoot the brute some / Burma-Shave
In 1931, the writers began to reveal a "cringe factor" side to their creativity, which would increase over time:
No matter / How you slice it / It's still your face / Be humane / Use / Burma-Shave
In 1932, the company recognized the popularity of the signs with a self-referencing gimmick:
Free / Illustrated / Jingle book / In every / Package / Burma-Shave
A shave / That's real / No cuts to heal / A soothing / Velvet after-feel / Burma-Shave
Along with the usual jokes, a regional contest spawned several signs in 1933, held during football season:
Within this vale / Of toil / And sin / Your head grows bald / But not your chin - use / Burma-Shave
Hit 'em high / Hit 'em low / Follow your team / Over WCCO / And win a prize / Burma-Shave
In 1935, the first known appearance of a road safety message appeared, combined with a punning sales pitch:
Train approaching / Whistle squealing / Stop / Avoid that run-down feeling / Burma-Shave
Keep well / To the right / Of the oncoming car / Get your close shaves / From the half pound jar / Burma-Shave
A punning reference to another well-known drug store product 1936:
Riot at / Drug store / Calling all cars / 100 customers / 99 jars / Burma-Shave
Smith Brothers / Would look immense / If they'd just / Cough up 50 cents / For half pound jar / Burma-Shave
Free! Free! / A trip / To Mars / For 900 / Empty jars / Burma-Shave
Self-referencing signs continued in 1937, along with puns:
You've laughed / At our signs / For many a mile / Be a sport / Give us a trial / Burma-Shave
If harmony / Is what / You crave / Then get / A tuba / Burma-Shave
Another safety message from 1938:
Don't take a curve / at 60 per / we hate to lose / a customer / Burma-Shave
Safety messages began to increase in 1939, as these examples show. (The first of the three is a parody of Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.)
Hardly a driver / Is now alive / Who passed / On hills / At 75 / 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
1939 also saw more puns for the product:
A peach / Looks good / With lots of fuzz / But man's no peach / And never wuz / Burma-Shave
I proposed / To Ida / Ida refused / Ida won my Ida / If Ida used / Burma-Shave
In 1939 and subsequent years, demise of the signs was foreshadowed, as busy roadways approaching larger cities featured shortened versions of the slogans on one, two, or three signs — the exact count is not recorded. The puns include a play on the Maxwell House Coffee slogan, standard puns, and yet another reference to the "H" joke:
Good to the last strop
Covers a multitude of chins
Takes the "H" out of shaving
1940 saw an early reference to the idea of a designated driver:
It's best for / One who hits / The bottle / To let another / Use the throttle / Burma-Shave
More safety slogans in 1941, along with ads:
Don't stick / Your elbow / Out so far / It might go home / In another car / Burma-Shave
At intersections / Look each way / A harp sounds nice / But it's / Hard to play / Burma-Shave
From / Bar / To car / To gates / Ajar / Burma-Shave
Broken romance / Stated fully / She went wild / When he / Went wooly / Burma Shave
Possibly the ultimate in self-referencing signs, leaving out the product name. This one also adorns the cover of the book:
If you / Don't know / Whose signs / These are / You can't have / Driven very far
The war years found the company recycling a lot of their old signs, with new ones mostly focusing on World War II "propaganda":
Let's make Hitler / And Hirohito / Feel as bad as / Old Benito / Buy War Bonds / Burma-Shave
Slap / The Jap / With / Iron / Scrap / Burma-Shave
1947:
Don't lose / Your head / To gain a minute / You need your head / Your brains are in it / Burma-Shave (repeated in 1963)
Car in ditch / Driver in tree / Moon was full / And so / Was he / Burma-Shave
I use it too / The bald man said / It keeps my face / Just like / My head / Burma-Shave
In Cupid's little / Bag of trix / Here's the one / That clix / With chix / Burma-Shave
1950:
He tried / To cross / As fast train neared / Death didn't draft him / He volunteered / Burma-Shave
My job is / Keeping faces clean / And nobody knows / De stubble / I've seen / Burma-Shave
Her chariot / Raced 80 per / They hauled away / What had / Ben Hur / Burma-Shave
1951:
Drinking drivers / Don't you know / Great bangs / From little / Binges grow? / Burma-Shave
Proper / Distance / To him was bunk / They pulled him out / Of some guy's trunk / Burma-Shave
1952:
Pedro / Walked / Back home, by golly / His bristly chin / Was hot-to-Molly / Burma-Shave (repeated in 1963)
The wolf / Is shaved / So neat and trim / Red Riding Hood / Is chasing him / Burma-Shave
Missin' / Kissin'? / Perhaps your thrush / Can't get thru / The underbrush — try / Burma-Shave
A chin / Where barbed wire / Bristles stand / Is bound to be / A no ma'ams land / Burma-Shave
1953:
Around / The curve / Lickety-split / Lovely car / Wasn't it? / Burma Shave
1955
Dinah doesn't / Treat him right / But if he'd / Shave / Dyna-mite! / Burma-Shave
The big blue tube's / Just like Louise / You get / A thrill / From every squeeze / Burma-Shave
To change that / Shaving job / To joy / You gotta use / The real McCoy / Burma-Shave
The monkey took / One look at Jim / And threw the peanuts / Back at him / He needed / Burma-Shave
Slow down, Pa / Sakes alive / Ma missed signs / Four / And five / Burma Shave
1959's ads included perhaps the worst of the "cringe-worthy" safety slogans:
Said Farmer Brown / Who's bald / On top / Wish I could / Rotate the crop / Burma-Shave
This cooling shave / Will never fail / To stamp / Its user / First-class male / Burma-Shave
Don't / Try passing / On a slope / Unless you have / A periscope / Burma-Shave
If daisies / Are your / Favorite flower / Keep pushin' up those / Miles per hour / Burma-Shave
He lit a match / To check gas tank / That's why / They call him / Skinless Frank / Burma Shave
1960 saw the last group of original signs until 1963:
Henry the Eighth / Sure had / Trouble / Short term wives / Long term stubble / Burma-Shave
Ben / Met Anna / Made a hit / Neglected beard / Ben-Anna split / Burma-Shave
Dim your lights / Behind a car / Let folks see / How bright / You are / Burma-Shave
Angels / Who guard you / When you drive / Usually / Retire at 65 / Burma-Shave
1963 was the last year for the signs, most of which were repeats, including the final slogan, which had first appeared in 1953:
Our fortune / Is your / Shaven face / It's our best / Advertising space / Burma-Shave
One sign considered, but never used:
Listen birds / These signs cost / Money / So roost a while / But don't get funny / Burma-Shave
(year unknown) Here lies / Heaven's neophyte / signaled left / then turned right / Burma-Shave
Source: Wikepedia