Advertising and Chess

7-Up ran a commercial where a man on a deserted island played correspondence chess with a chess move inside the 7-Up bottle.

AltaVista search engine had a 2008 commercial of Garry Kasparov giving a simul. He has to stop and think when one of his young opponents used the Alta Vista search engine with the query “How he can beat Garri Kasparov’s Evans Gambit?” Kasparov grabs a chair, sits down, and starts some deep thinking.

Amco, makers of car emblem shift knobs, had a 1968 print ad with the shift knobs acting as chess pieces. The tag line was, “Make your move…in style with Amco.”

AMD used an ad with former world champion Anand sitting in a chair. The tag line was “The fruit eaten by Adam and Eve wasn’t an apple. Break myths. Go by facts. Askvishy.com”

American Watch Company used a letter by Paul Morphy to advertise its watches. In 1859, Paul Morphy became the first sports or chess figure to issue a commercial endorsement when he declared a watch made by the American Watch Company, “I have examined the contents of this watch and find it to be made of 100 percent genuine machinery.”

Andersen windows had a 1961 ad showing a family room with a chess set in the middle of it.

An anti-drug ad showed an old man and a young girl playing chess in the park.

Arctic Securities is the main sponsor of Magnus Carlsen, who advertises the company on his clothing.

Armagnac Brady had a 1946 print ad of a chess set with a glass of brandy on the side.

Arrow men’s white shirts had a 1953 print ad with a man in suit and tie. The tie has chess pieces on it as a pattern.

Atwater Kent radio had a 1926 print ad of a radio next to a chess set.

Avon advertised their perfume with 32 bottles that made up a chess set of white and black pieces.

Bank of America had a 1960 print ad of a rook (castle) with a house on top being moved on a chess board. The tag line was, “Protect your castle! In chess – or in protecting and preserving an estate – long-range strategy is of greatest importance.”

The beer industry had a 1955 beer and ale ad to promote beer and ale. It featured a lady and a man playing chess with a bottle and glass of beer on the side of the chess board. The tag line was, “In this friendly, freedom-loving land of ours…Beer Belongs – Enjoy.”

BMW of Santa Monica had a clever billboard. The billboard was next to an Audi billboard that featured one of its cars, with the tag line, “Your move, BMW.” The larger BMW billboard featured one of its high-end cars, with the tag line, “Checkmate.” BMW also had an ad for a BMW rally featuring a motorcycle with a Red Cross kit. The tag line was “A BMW Rally with two nearby service centers. What’s next, paramedics at a chess tournament?”

Boeing had a 1959 print ad of missiles on a chess board.

Bohn Aluminum & Steel featured an ad with a steel hand making a chess move.

Bon Jour Paris clothing had a 1983 print ad of a woman standing over a chess board with a few pieces knocked over.

Botany 500 had a 1963 ad for a mark 10 suit. A man dressed in suit and tie is standing over a chess set holding a chess piece. The tag line was, “The Personal Touch.”

Cabin Crafts carpets had a 1958 ad with a chess set on top of a carpet rug. The tag line was, “Cabin Crafts puts color in its proper place.”

Camel Cigarettes once featured former U.S. chess champion Frank Marshall in one of its advertisements, which appeared in the April 28, 1934 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Arnold Denker also appeared in an advertisement for Camel cigarettes.

Carling’s Brewery ran an ad with a bottle of Carling’s Red Cap Ale surrounded by chess pieces.

Celanese Arnel Excello shirts had a 1960 print ad of a man wearing an Arnel shirt thinking over a chess position. The tag line was, “You can relax…This is Arnel.”

Champion Paper and Fiber Company made a 1959 ad with a chess board and chess piece. The tag line was, “A new move to serve you!”

Charlie’s Angels had a poster of all three Charlie’s Angels (Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Farah Fawcett) on one side of the chess board making a move. The promotional poster was made in 1977.

Chevron Standard Oil of California had a 1965 ad of two men in a tent playing chess. The tag line was, “They take American friendship with them …everywhere they go.”

Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey had a 1992 print ad with a close up of some chess pawns and the Chivas logo on the ad page.

Coca-Cola had a 1945 ad featuring images of some air force military men playing chess in a bar, with the tag line, “Checkmate, pardner…Have a Coca-Cola.” And, “…refreshment fulfills a friendly mission.” The ad appeared in the August 1945 issue of National Geographic.

Cointreau liqueur had a 1973 ad featuring two people playing chess and two others observing, with a bottle of Cointreau in the background. The tag line was, “Cointreau…the art of lingering.”

Command Men’s Hair Spray had a 1969 print ad of a man playing chess while being watched by a woman. The tag line was, “When the name of the game is great grooming the name of the line is command.”

Consolidated Electrodynamics had a 1957 print ad with some red chess pieces denoting strategy. The tag line was, “Like chess champions, management today is capitalizing on scientific systems to stay ahead of competition.”

De Beers Diamonds had a 1977 print ad showing a man holding a chess piece. On his finger is a men’s diamond ring. The tag lines were, “All his life he’s been a tough competitor. To him, second place isn’t good enough. But his happiest moment came last week when his 11-year-old daughter beat him at chess. He’s a special kind of man. A diamond is for him.”

Diva fashions, tailored by Evan-Picone, had a 1956 ad of a woman standing on a chess board with a few chess pieces on some squares.

Douglas Aircraft had a 1965 print ad called Missile chess. It had a variety of its missiles on a chess board.

Dunhill cigarettes had a 1986 ad with a computer chess board and a pack of cigarettes on the side.

Fidelity Electronics of Miami published an ad for the Voice Chess Challenger (first appearing in Omni magazine in December 1979). It was advertised as “The Perfect Chess Opponent! It Thinks…It Talks…It ‘Sees’ Every Move You Make!” In 1980, and ad appeared for its Fidelity Chess challenger 7. The title of the ad was, “Genius Offspring.”

G-Star denim brand uses the image of Magnus Carlsen to advertise its G-Star Raw products.

Gas-X has an ad that shows a lone king on one side of the board and all the other pieces on the other side of the board.

Geico insurance company used a soccer announcer (Andres Cantor) to call the moves in a chess game for one of Geico’s commercials in 2010. The chess position itself is illegal, with two white bishops of the same color and some other mistakes.

Grand Marnier Liqueur had a 1992 print ad that had a bottle of liqueur and two glasses on a chess board, surrounded by chess pieces. The tag line was, “A Grand Master.”

Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo ran two ads that featured a knocked-over White King surrounded by a Black Queen and Knight. The tag line was “Game over dandruff” and “keep dandruff in check” for another ad that had a chess piece that was half white and half black.

Highland Queen scotch whiskey ran a 1936 print ad with a chess board and a bottle of whiskey, with the tag line, “The Queen Dominates.” It also featured a chess diagram and a chess problem. Another ad featured a chess set with military planes, tanks, and ships.

Hoffman Controlled Heat had a 1929 ad of two men playing chess in suits in a flexible home of heat and cool.

Bob Hope had a 1972 ad to promote his Bob Hope All Star Special, starring David Cassidy, Mark Spitz, Alexis Smith, World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, and The Carpenters.

Horizon Organic ran a “chess mates” ad on the Disney Channel. It showed a little girl drinking milk and playing chess with her grandfather.

In the 1930s, the Hotels de Paris (Hotel Regina, Hotel Majestic, and Hotel Calais) advertised their hotels that were frequented by leading chess masters such as Alekhine, Lasker, Capablanca, and Marshall.

Hunter Distillery ran an ad with a nice chess set and a bottle of Hunter alcohol, with the tag line, “Outstanding for Excellence.”

IBM had several ads for IBM’s Deep Blue versus Kasparov chess match. In 1983, IBM had a print ad showing a chip design of an IBM 4151 Super-Mini. The tag line was, “The board’s half the size of a thumbnail, with 100,000 pieces. And it’s your move.”

Intel had a 1994 print ad for an Intel Pentium Processor. The add featured chess, games, movies, photos, etc. The tag line was, “What’s the big attraction.”

Irving Trust Company had a 1964 print ad with a variety of exotic, carved chess pieces.

The Jaques Staunton chess-men were first advertised in the September 29, 1849 issue of the Illustrated London News, and endorsed by Howard Staunton.

JK Tyre of India ad shows a tire on a chess board, with chess pieces in the background.

JS&A chess computer had a 1979 ad of its chess computer with a picture of world champion Anatoly Karpov. The title of the ad was “Karpov Accepts,” which was an endorsement of the chess computer.

Kaichen & Rothschild cigar makers used Paul Morphy’s image to sell cigars.

Kent cigarettes had a 1973 ad page with a package of Kent cigarettes next to a chess set. They had a 1955 print ad of a carton of Kent cigarettes as a Christmas present surrounded by chess pieces.

Kentucky Tavern whiskey had a 1946 ad that showed a chess set with two glasses of whiskey and a book called Chess and Double Check.

Kodel Fivers had a 1968 ad featuring a man and a boy relaxing and playing chess. The tag line was, “Make mine the fiber that still looks neat after the big game. Kodel.”

Koneru Humpy is modeling and has done an advertisement for a property developer.

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce had a 1974 print ad showing Mr. Lea and Mr. Perrins playing chess.

Louis Vuitton French fashion house had a 1988 print ad, called the art of travel. It featured travel gear and a chess set.

Maidenform bra had a 1993 print ad of a lady playing darts in a restaurant or café, wearing a bra and panties, while two men in the background are playing chess and not paying any attention to the lady. The tag line was, “Maidenform sweet nothings. Right on target with a daring look. The Maidenform Woman. You never know where she’ll turn up.”

A Marine Corps commercial made in 1990 used chess as a backdrop for recruiting. The commercial featured a life size chess board with real horses and knights. The Marines also had a 1992 print ad of a chess board and pieces with a Marine in the background. The tag line, “The warrior’s most powerful weapon is the mind.”

Marlboro cigarettes had a 1955 ad of a man holding a chess piece while smoking.

Martell Cognac had a 1953 print ad with a glass of cognac on a chess board next to a knight. The tag line was, “Depuis 1715 jamais en echec!”

Mary Chess perfume had a 1947 magazine ad that featured a bride with perfume bottles shaped like chess pieces. A 1955 print ad showed a perfume bottle in the shape of a queen. A 1958 print ad featured a chess strategy perfume bottle in the shape of a knight.

Mattel Electronics had a 1981 ad that featured its Mattel Computer Chess. The tag line was, “Computer Chess checkmates the leading competitor.”

Meetup.com has a chess commercial of a guy playing a cat.

Mercedes-Benz released a magazine and newspaper ad in 2008 showing a chess player in protective gear, with the words, “You can never feel too secure.” Mercedes-Benz also made a commercial with golfer Adam Scott playing chess.

A milk commercial was made showing a cow beating Viktor Korchnoi.

Miller Beer had an ad of a man playing chess with a glass of beer in his hand, with the tag line, “Distinctive in Taste.” Miller High Life beer had a 1942 ad of a bottle and glass of beer on a chess set. The tag line was, “Enjoy Life with Miller High Life.”

Mission Dry Sparkling Orange Juice had an ad that ran in the March 8, 1930 issue of Saturday Evening Post, showing a chess set and two classes of orange juice on the sides.

The Morphy Straw Hat and the Morphy Cigar (special brand ordered from Havana) were advertised in the Boston and New York papers of after Paul Morphy’s victorious return from Europe in 1859.

Mount Vernon Rye Whiskey had a 1937 print ad of two men playing chess with the ghost of George Washington looking on. The tag line was, “The Present toasts the Past in Mount Vernon!”

The National Historical Society ran a 1984 print ad for their Civil War chess set made by the Franklin mint. I bought one.

The National Hockey League (NHL) ran a commercial with Wayne Gretsky playing a chess game with Mark Messier. Gretsky makes a good move and Messier knocks over all the pieces, saying, “Oops, I slipped.”

Neely Sales, an exclusive sales and service for Hewlett Packard, had an ad for their 1966 calendar, featuring a glamorous woman dressed in green sitting by a chess board and holding a chess piece in her hand. The tag line was, “your move.”

NIIT, a global IT services company, has used former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand as its ambassador. Anand has starred in at least four commercial advertising campaigns for AMD India, Union Bank of India, Parle-G, and Crocin.

Novag chess computers were endorsed by Anatoly Karpov.

Old Gold cigarettes ran a print ad in 1954 featuring a nice chess set with a pack of Old Gold cigarettes at the side of the chess board. It advertised, “Your best King Size move…”

Old Grand Dad bourbon featured a 1963 print ad with two bourbon bottles surrounded by a chess board and pieces, with the tag line, “Either way, the perfect move.”

Oyster Magazine recently featured Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan modeling with different hair styles.

Pall Mall cigarettes had a 1958 ad with a pack of Pall Malls on a chess board.

Paramount Pictures had a 1992 Star Trek ad for their Star Trek Chess Set. It was the Star Trek crew versus the Klingons. It was advertised as the chess set that transcends time and space.

Paul Masson win had a 1965 ad with a bottle of champagne and a knight, and featuring a George Koltanowski chess puzzle. The tag line was, “Tonight Could Be the Knight.”

Pennzoil motor oil had a 1941 print ad showing a chess (checker) board, with the tag line, “You move, trouble.”

Pepsi had a commercial starring Garry Kasparov vs. the Machine. Pepsi-Cola ran an ad of a man and a woman playing chess, with the tag line, “Relax with the Light refreshment.”

Pirelli tires had a 1960 ad of five tire models and chess pieces on an orange background.

PlayStation3 has an ad that shows a broken king with blood pouring out with the tag, “It’s already devising ways to kill you.”

Playtex tampons had a 1973 print ad of a woman playing chess around a bunch of men. The tag line was, “Are you sure your tampon keeps you odor-free?”

Susan Polgar has endorsed products of a bank and insurance company in Hungary.

Prince Gardner had a 1957 print ad of their billfold, cigarette case, and lighter on top of a chess board, surrounded by a few chess pieces.

Proback razor blades had a 1931 ad of several clean shaven men sitting and standing around a chess set

Red Bull energy drink now has Hikaru Nakamura as a spokesperson. Red Bull has a commercial of two kids playing blitz chess with a chess clock, and they speed up after drinking Red Bull.

Rheingold beer had a 1955 print ad featuring Edmund Gwenn, and English theater and film actor, playing a game of chess, and then having a beer. Gwenn (1877-1959) played Kris Kringle in the 1947 film Miracle on 34^th Street, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Sanderson’s Vat 69 Scotch Whiskey had a 1951 print ad with a bottle of scotch and a glass on a tray next to a chess set.

Sanfor Company had a 1952 ad promoting Sanforized fabrics. A lady is on a chess board with a king and knight, checking out her dress that does not shrink.

Saratoga cigarettes had a 1977 print ad of a man playing chess and waiting for his opponent to move. The tag line was, “Wait ‘til I finish my Saratoga.”

Schlitz beer ran an ad of father and son playing chess. The father has a full glass of beer and the son has an empty glass. The tag line is, Father, “What’s your next move, son?” Son, “To the refrigerator.”

Schonbel Chandeliers had a 1995 print ad of a crystal chandelier above a chess set. The tag line was, “Sacrifice anything but the Schonbek.”

Schweppes tonic water used Garry Kasparov in one of its Spanish television commercials in 1987 to advertise its product.

Siemens has an ad for a vacuum cleaner where a lady is vacuuming a room that is being used for the world chess championship, advertising a very quiet vacuum cleaner while the players are concentrating on chess.

Silence Therapeutics uses Hikaru Nakamura to endorse its products.

Smirnoff Vodka had a 1977 print ad with an empty bottle of Smirnoff Vodka filled with a White Queen chess piece embracing and kissing the Black King chess piece. The bottle is on the chess board with other chess pieces in front of it. The tag line was, “Pure Mate.”

Stouffer’s had an ad of a man and a woman playing chess with a Stouffer’s dinner meal on the side of the chess board.

Tab, a soda pop by Coca-Cola, had a 1964 ad with a chess set in the foreground and a bottle and glass of tab in the background.

Teacher’s Highland Cream Scotch Whiskey had a 1937 ad with two men playing chess and a third man watching the game while holding a glass of Scotch.

Three Feathers Whiskey had a 1946 ad with three glasses of whiskey on a chess board surrounded by pieces. The tag line was, “The next move is yours.”

Tocadilly Rochas perfume ran an ad of a perfume bottle on a chess board with a woman looking straight ahead.

Underground of London, maker of houses, had a 1914 advertising poster of houses on a chess board. The tag line was, “Your next move and your best is on to Underground.”

Varian Associates had a 1961 ad for radar klystrons (microwave tubes) showing a White Knight and a Black Knight. The tag line was, “White’s Defense at 76 degrees North, 68 degrees West.”

Viagra has an ad showing some chess boards with the tag line, “Enjoy again what you like best.”

Vittel mineral water produced a commercial with chess players.

Warner Brothers had a 1992 ad promoting its Looney tunes collector’s edition chess set.

Webster University has a billboard that says, “Our top recruits are chess players.”

Werder ketchup ad shows two tomatoes playing chess.

Wild Turkey Bourbon Whiskey had a 2002 print ad with a bottle and glass of whiskey in the foreground, and two men playing chess in the background. The tag line was, “5:25 PM. Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The extreme games begin.”

Wine Importer’s ad featured a chess board with wine bottles and a chess piece on top of each wine bottle.

Wrigley’s Freedent gum had a 1986 print ad of a man playing chess and being snuggled up by a woman. The tag line was, “Go ahead, get close.”

Woman’s Day magazine had a 1952 print ad featuring chess pieces and the queen reading Woman’s Day magazine.

yApre Profile necktie had a 1956 ad of a necktie on a chess king.