Michael Larson

Sunday Drives: Nostalgic Reminiscing with the Best of Burma-shave Michael Larson

The Burma-Shave craze reached its zenith during the 1950s, with more than 7,000 signs posted across the United States. To market Burma-Shave, Allen Odell, an advertising wordsmith, devised the concept of sequential signs to sell his shaving cream. Typically, six signs were erected, with each of the first five containing a line of verse, and the sixth trumpeting the brand name. Burma-Shave signs appeared in every state except Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. The creative people at Burma-Shave, as well as customers who sent in jingles of their own, ultimately created more than 600 of the rhymes. In the world of advertising, Burma-Shave stood as unique, creating signs that became a part of the popular culture. Although the Burma-Shave company is no more, these fun little rhymes hold great nostalgic value for those of use who fondly remember them from our Sunday drives.