You've Got to Know When

Black text and an illustration of a glass with ice, a lemon and a cherry on a white background

Depicting a half-finished hard liquor beverage, this button is most likely the result of the “responsible drinking” mindset that spread after Anheuser-Busch initially launched its famous “Know When to Say When” campaign in the early 1980s. Amidst pressure from anti-drinking organizations, the well-known brewer launched the advertisement campaign to promote the idea of responsible drinking among its consumers. As the first of its kind to have campaign-oriented commercials on network television, the spots included sports celebrities, as well as the now-iconic bull-terrier, "Spud McKenzie" -- further propelling the popular slogan's use on t-shirts, buttons, and posters and eventually making the phrase a general attitude regarding responsible choices and social binge drinking. The following link is a commercial for the "Know When to Say When" campaign which originally aired in 1985 and starred famous football quarterback, Dan Marino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ouUXFlxpi8