Vintage Advertisements To Make You Laugh... Or Cringe!
When was the last time you saw an advertisement that made you cringe? Well, Some of the ads you'll be seeing here would never have been approved in this day and age. So, if you think that ads these days are nothing to write home about, brace yourselves, as next up we take a look at some old-fashioned ads that'll make you chuckle and shake your head.
Stokely’s Van Camp’s Canned Pork and Beans; 1952
This ad was okay but for one major flaw; the kid's expression. You can say it is sinister, the young boy looks like the kind of person to sneak up when you’re sleeping and do something evil. This looks like a subtle threat that tells you “fail to buy Stokely’s Van Camp’s pork and beans and see what happens to you.”
Well, we might stretch it to say it’s a veiled threat. However, the artist messed this drawing with that cold expression on the boy’s face, though it’s likely they did not mean to create a chilling effect on the picture.
Ready for Delivery
The most successful advertising campaigns usually involve a slogan that is easy for consumers to remember. This company tweaked the saying “the best things in life are free” to read “the best things in life come in Cellophane”. Kudos to them for being creative, right? Well, the creativity went a bit too far.
Instead of using their product to wrap a lovely gift basket or a box of chocolates, they decided that wrapping a baby, in plastic mind you, would be a huge hit. While the stork is a cute touch it seems as though the ad should have a disclaimer that reads “This product is not intended for the wrapping of humans.”
Start Them Young
It's safe to say that this beverage is one of the most popular in the world when it comes to soft drinks, however, that doesn’t mean that it's the healthiest of choices. Between the high content of sugar and the caffeine, nutritionists agree that Coke and other sodas should not be consumed on a regular basis.
In this vintage ad, it would seem that the company is trying to convince parents to offer their product to their children during their “early formative years” to ensure they have a better start in life. Essentially saying in order for your child to be their best, they need to consume Coca-Cola.
KFC - A Woman’s Best Friend
Kentucky Fried Chicken opened their doors back in the day when women were expected to stay home, take care of the family, and have a hot homemade dinner on the table when their husbands came home from work. Because fast food was a relatively new concept, KFC targeted their advertising campaign towards exhausted housewives.
Though the ad does play into the stereotype that women should be providing a meal for their men, the copy does seem to sympathize with the difficulty of their role in the household. Saying that Colonel Sanders is a “woman’s best friend” and mentioning “weary wives and working women” suggests that he understands their circumstances and wants to help. It must have worked because KFC has been extremely successful since its inception.
Hot Dogs!
Here's your average hotdog advertisement you would see at football games, baseball, and any other sports where masses of people would join together to buy hotdogs.
The hot dog would be the go-to food for people who couldn't afford more than a hot dog, that's why during the great depression you would see hundreds of advertisements pushing the hot dog as an all-time family favorite.
OMG
Did I really just read that?! The advertising world was dominated by men so much that they never knew how to really sell. They were great at bouncing off ideas from each other, but that's it. An ad for Kenwood Chef food processor from the 1950s.
Picnic, Gil Style
This image is one of many illustrations done by Gil Elvgren. He was known not for his arts, but for his pin-up creations. He could paint a pin-up of women in everyday situations, and make them look "inviting".
It's obvious that Elvgrens' works would never have been accepted these days, as they were all done for men's pleasure. We don't know if he ever regretted being famous for this and not for his art, but what's done is done.
Delta for the Serial Adulterer
We've already seen in other ads that values back in the day were somewhat questionable, to say the least. However, this ad is definitely on the run for 'Most Sleazy in History', and might just take first prize.
Are you cheating on multiple women simultaneously? Apparently, back then Delta was willing to use that as leverage to increase sales, all the while featuring the person's hypothetical women like they were up for display, from the 'Dallas Darling' to the 'Maimi Minx'. All that's left for us to do is roll our eyes.
How to Catch a Man For Dummies
As you can see, many of the advertisements during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s were geared towards women in hopes that their scare tactics would increase sales. This vintage ad doesn’t mince words when it comes to their opinion of women and their level of intelligence.
The deodorant ad is basically saying that this beauty is too stupid to realize that she should use their product, implying that anyone who does use it has to be more intelligent. In all actuality, the statement “Beautiful but dumb” is an underlying way of saying that women, in general, are too dumb to think for themselves and will buy whatever they are told to.
Keep Them at Your Feet
If there was ever an ad that exemplified misogynistic thinking, this would be it. The theory behind this ad was to probably show a woman who was so impressed by the man’s choice of shoe that she could not take her eyes off of it. While that is all fine and good (although it also shows a lack of creativity), the tagline is blatantly sexist.
The tagline “Keep her where she belongs” has absolutely nothing to do with selling the product so one can only assume that it was added to imply that women should always be at a man’s feet. Though we have certainly come a long way since these types of ads were commonplace, we still have a long way to go.
Wife Spanking; 1950s
This image was inspired by the trend in the 1950s. Men could spank their wives and an opinion column in the dailymail.co.uk website showed how common this was. Four men who interviewed for the piece all agree that it was okay to beat wives when they make mistakes.
In this picture, the husband is spanking his wife because she bought stale coffee. This ad plays to the narration of the time that women are second-class citizens.
Cocaine for Toothache; 1885
Believe it or not, there was a time cocaine was advertised for toothache. The use of the drug was widespread and perfectly legal for everyday use. Cocaine was a popular ingredient in the coca wine which evolved into Coca-Cola. The world’s most popular soda today certainly had unlikely beginnings.
It was in the 1880s that the medicinal qualities of cocaine were discovered. As the 19th century wound down, cocaine became a major ingredient in many pain relief tonics such as toothache drops.
Light 'em Up
Once upon a time, smoking was the height of sophistication, and who better to promote it than the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra? In a vintage ad, Sinatra can be seen lighting up a Chesterfield "man-sized" cigarette with a debonair smile. But today, the very idea of using a celebrity to promote smoking would be met with a chorus of disapproval.
Sinatra would probably be turning in his grave (if he weren't too busy crooning and being cool, of course). The ad would never make it past the approval stage and would be met with a collective "you've got to be kidding me!" from the public. So, let's all be grateful that we live in a world where smoking is widely discouraged and Sinatra can be remembered for his legendary music and not his endorsement of a dangerous habit.
Balls
Tennis balls people!! You would think this is an ad for a naughty club, or maybe a "all-nude-tennis" game. But no! It's an ad for a computer game. A computer game that is a tennis game. A tennis game. In a computer. In the 1980's.
What should one expect when he starts playing this game with 1980's graphic capabilities? Why would you use this image to promote a tennis computer game?
Pin-Up(ski)
This is the Russian version of pinup-girls posters. These posters were issued by the central government local party representative. And they were issued to garages and other places Americans would put pinup girls.
The difference is, obviously, that these are not photographs, but illustrations. And when in Soviet Russia, always connect everything with industry workers. Even pinup girls.
Mr. Leggs Floors Tiger Lady; 1960s
OMG! This is sooo wrong on so many levels. The ad copy implies that the pants were so hot, they floored a tiger lady. The graphically violent ad sends the wrong message about what is acceptable in society.
See the miserable, glaring face of tiger lady. How does a consumer connect that with slacks? They wanted to create a lady killer type of ad but this is more on the violence against women category. Considering that the 60s was a time when women were fighting for their rights, this ad even seems to tell men that Mr. Leggs pants would help keep the woman down. Gross.
Smoking (Hot)
Seriously? Okay, maybe we don't know what we're talking about and these advertisements worked. Tiparillo created ads for young smokers and women smokers. Their main tagline was "Should a gentleman offer a lady a Tiparillo?"
And they used that tagline in almost every profession that women can be found in. The problem was that they showed the women, as you can see, hot and sexy - in every profession.
Wasted Charms
No one likes to smell bad so it is a safe assumption that the majority of the population wears deodorant. And because deodorant is one of those products where you become loyal to a brand when you find what works, those companies thrive on repeat customers. Executives have come to realize this over the last few decades and have found that they can cut their advertising budget. Now, back in the day, deodorant was a competitive market so things were done a bit differently.
Because of the steep competition, deodorant companies chose tactics in their advertising that targeted women and bolstered their insecurities. In this ad, they are sure to point out that no matter how beautiful and charming you were, if you did not smell nice you were out of the running.
Candy Coated Advertising
Everyone loves candy, however, we can all agree that it should be eaten in moderation. Parents are acutely aware of the adverse side effects their children experience when on a sugar high. While sugar is a tasty treat, when young children consume it, they experience a huge spike in energy followed by a sudden crash.
It is apparent from this ad that the company was well aware of the energy boost candy provides as well. Instead of hiding it from consumers, they capitalized on it by making mothers feel as though they needed to feed their children sweets to give them more energy. They even went so far as to point out that a “smart mother” would buy this product.
Cars Even a Woman Could Drive
Like appliances, cars are also a product that is advertised to both men and women in completely different ways. Traditionally, men would be the decision-maker when the family purchased a new vehicle, even so, women had certain requirements to make their lives easier. Trunk space for groceries, spacious and safe for the children, and, of course, gas mileage to adhere to the family budget.
By the 1960s, women were becoming more independent and many households were choosing to have two cars. This ad for the Mini automatic, though it looks to be geared towards women, is actually geared towards their husbands. By showing a woman who looks nervous and then stating the car is simple to use, men would be more likely to be concerned that their wives couldn’t handle a normal-sized car.
Healthy Eating
People back in the '50s and '60s really didn't have a clue, did they... I could understand the original thought behind this weird ad, but still, people.... there is no way this ad could ever pass through today.
I wonder where these kids are today, and if they ever look back in horror on this image. On the other hand, they could have it enlarged and on canvas in the middle of their living room.
How the French Do It
While the United States has certainly proven to produce some cringe-worthy ads, they simply cannot compare to the French. Though the French tend to be a bit more forward-thinking when it comes to gender roles, their respect for animals is lacking as proven in this next ad.
This graphic ad’s purpose is to sell fresh sausage by displaying a pig butchering himself and being happy about it. Not only is the ad far from appetizing, but it also raises the question as to whether or not the French treat their animals ethically. With organizations such as PETA, this marketing campaign would create a ton of backlash in this day and age.
Child Endangerment
How this ad campaign made it to print is beyond us. Understandably, the creative minds behind the marketing schemes can at times get blocked, so it is imperative to run ideas by your colleagues to ensure that they make sense. Obviously, this was not done, because this ad makes no sense at all.
Today, this ad suggesting a baby shave itself would receive a boatload of backlash. Aside from the fact that a child has no need for a razor, the repercussions of handing a baby a sharp object are unimaginable. Even an inexperienced person knows that!
Advertising Advice
While it seems absurd to take advice from a marketing campaign, there was no shortage of ads that doled it out. This ad offered up some dating advice all the while promoting smoking and misogynistic attitudes. A real bang for the company’s buck so to speak.
Though the tagline confidently states if you “blow in her face she will follow you anywhere”, this is obviously not sound advice. While the ad suggests that women enjoy smoke being blown in their face and that they find it wildly attractive, rest assured they will most likely find it a very rude gesture.
Save Your Sun-Starved Tot
When deciding on a demographic to target, advertising agencies thrive on products made for children. Why, you ask? Because parents are constantly in search of the next best thing to ensure their children are happy and healthy.
While it's encouraging that most parents are willing to sacrifice their hard-earned money for the benefit of their children, some products may do more harm than good. This 1930s ad for a sun lamp suggests parents allow their infants to sleep under its rays. The wording even suggests parents are starving their children of something vital when in all actuality the product could be quite damaging to an infant’s skin. Crazy, right?
It Hurts to Be Pretty
Let’s face it, advertisers have been making promises for over a century saying that their product will make women look younger, thinner, and prettier. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry for crying out loud. It's doubtful that this will ever change but thankfully the products themselves have vastly improved.
While this 1890 ad is promoting a chin reducer and beautifier, the contraption actually looks like some kind of torture device from medieval times. The catchphrase “Curves of Youth” targets aging women promising them that they can, once again, look the way they did in their younger years. Although this wouldn’t be a big seller in today’s world, the same message is sent with adverts for plastic surgery.
Schlitz Beer; 1950
This ad was probably meant to come out funny, and in the 50s, maybe it was. The lady in the picture is a housewife cooking. She seems to have ruined the food as black smoke rises from the pan in her hand. She is obviously disappointed, but the husband puts an arm around her and consoles her that while the food is ruined, they still have the beer.
This picture plays to the stereotypes of the 50s where the ideal female was groomed to be a pious housewife while the man was the breadwinner. The man was also the one who controlled everything so that it seems condescending that instead of being angry; he applauds that the beer is not spoilt.
Made Just for You
Advertisers have profited off of the differences between men and women for decades, however, they normally focus on the sex's wants and needs as opposed to their physical attributes. This began to change in the 1960s. Women were beginning to find their voice so the companies that noticed attempted to market differently in an attempt to win them over.
The problem was that men were still making the decisions. This 1965 ad selling a girl-sized pen for a girl-sized hand did make a feeble attempt to seem as though they backed the women’s movement, even so, the underlying message of the ad is that women are smaller and therefore cannot handle a man-sized writing utensil.
A Cure in a Bottle
There is nothing like relaxing with a glass of wine after a long hard day, right? While a glass of wine can be a stress-reliever, it is not recommended for those who are battling depression as it can act as a downer. These are all things we know today, however, in the 1940s and 50s, depression was rarely discussed.
Though depression was rarely discussed, many companies included the issue in their ad campaigns announcing they had found the cure. This ad, in particular, claimed that their wine was not only a cure for depression but also the flu and hangovers. While the hair of the dog may bring you some cheer, it certainly isn’t a remedy.
Don’t Strain Your Brain
Though new products come and go every day, there have been quite a few that have stood the test of time. Granted, they may have had to make adjustments to their marketing strategies and branding, even so, those products still remain staples in households across the world. Interestingly enough, Coca-Cola’s initial advertising campaign has completely changed its game.
These days, Coca-Cola is one of the most well-known brands around, even so, when they started out in the 1890s, they marketed their product as a “Brain Tonic”. As you can see from the ad, they claimed the soda could relieve headaches and cure mental and physical exhaustion.
Targeted Advertising
Advertisers get the most bang for their buck by gearing their ads towards certain demographics. While this has proven to increase sales, there are some marketing campaigns that have proven to be insensitive. Now, in this day and age with social media, insensitive ads are quickly called out causing the companies to take immediate action to appease their consumers. It wasn’t this way in the 1960s, however.
Lane Bryant put out an ad offering a free fashion catalog for girls size 8.5 to 14.5 and teens size 10.5 to 16.5, however, the actual word they used to describe them was chubbies. Though they were surely trying to be inclusive, in all actuality, their wording was offensive and wrong.
Tribal Chief; 1998
Nintendo was the bomb in console gaming. Their handheld gaming product known as the Game Boy Color was a smash hit with legendary games such as Pokemon, Donkey Kong, and Legend of Zelda.
The ability to buy colors such as teal, berry, kiwi. Grape, purple, dandelion, and clear transparent options further sweetened the deal. The picture of a tribal chief holding a game boy is the oddity in the ad.
Pyrex Offers Wedded Bliss
When a couple weds they do so with the hopes that their marriage will last forever and apparently the famous brand Pyrex knew that. Now Pyrex is a reputable brand and has been around forever but their message in this vintage ad makes some promises they may not be able to keep.
The tag line “Successful marriages start in the kitchen” implies that if a newly married couple uses their product they will surely stay together. It goes on further to say that “Pyrex is going to make failure-free cooking easy” to imply that marriages will certainly fail if the wife’s cooking fails. Way to put on the pressure Pyrex.
Man’s World; 1950s
When the ad is titled it’s a man’s world, you can guess where it is going. This ad for Van Heusen’s ties took a strange approach. The man is smartly dressed in a tie and sits on the bed which does not really make sense because who goes to bed in a tie? Then it goes downhill from here. A housewife on her knees is serving the man dutifully, placing a wonderful breakfast on his lap.
Who doesn’t love breakfast in bed? However, the ad, like some already on this list portrays women as second-class people.
Postage Meter; 1947
A woman seems to be having enough of what the salesman is trying to sell. The story in the ad suggests the woman was reluctant to buy the contraption because she thought it would be hard to use. This belittles the capability of women. Then the salesman somehow convinced her to try it and she loved the results. This seems to show that women do not know what is good for them unless men tell them what to do.
The ad is for a postage meter but the headline asks when it is fine to kill a woman. This is a joke among couples but feels out of place and in bad taste when talking about postage meters.
The Wholesome DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or more commonly known as DDT, was a highly celebrated insecticide when it was first introduced to the world because it was highly effective at killing mosquitoes. The colorless, odorless, and tasteless chemical was considered miraculous when it was discovered that fruits, vegetables, and steer grew larger on farms where it was used.
Though it was already being widely used as an insecticide, the manufacturer went a step further and marketed DDT as a safe and healthy cleaning agent in this vintage ad. Consumers got a rude awakening when the EPA deemed DDT as a human carcinogen in 1972 after realizing its devastating environmental effects.
Spoil Your Wife
When it comes to appliances, throughout the 1900s, advertisers directed their promotions to both men and women. They acknowledged that though women will be the primary users of items such as vacuums and ovens, it was the men who made the ultimate decision to purchase them.
In this ad for a soil-free oven, the advertiser catches the eye of the man by saying the product is a “wifesaver” and appeals to the women by pointing out how much easier their life would be should they own one. Back then if you received a new oven or vacuum as a wife, you were considered spoiled, nowadays a spouse would have some explaining to do.
An Antiquated Notion
Talk about old-fashioned, this ad could probably put the company out of business if it was released in this day and age. During the 1940s and 1950s, this type of marketing strategy was insanely popular amongst, what we can easily assume were male, executives.
Many ad campaigns focused on the messages that women either belonged in the kitchen, serving their man, or reviewing tips on how to get a man and keep him. Today, this particular message would not only create a backlash from women who were offended, but also from men who may be irritated by the suggestion that they cannot take care of themselves. We have certainly come a long way.
Iver Johnson Revolvers Safe for Children; 1904
This may or may not be the last ad that distastefully features children though it is the last that ran before the 1920s. Iver Johnson claims to manufacture revolvers test are both safe to handle and easy to shoot and kill.
The design featured a manual safety on the trigger and advertisers thought it was a good idea to use a little girl holding the gun in their ad. Whether the gun has a hammer or not, it is a scary sight to see a little child holding one, accidents can happen.
Superficial Suggestions
You may notice that many of the vintage ads are geared towards women with suggestions as to how to be more desirable to men. Oddly enough, many of them offer unsolicited advice instead of focusing on advertising their product.
This vintage ad shows a beautiful woman sitting at her vanity looking coyly over her bare shoulder at, what we can assume to be, her audience of men. The line accompanying the picture reads, “Most men ask ‘Is she pretty?’ not ‘Is she clever’” suggesting that men are enticed by beauty rather than intelligence. So tell me, what are they advertising?
Keep Up the Good Work
Anyone who has done spring cleaning can tell you that you definitely work up a sweat! It’s a win-win situation as you are clearing out the cobwebs while also burning off some carbs. Apparently, the advertising executives caught wind of this and decided to use the scenario in their marketing campaign.
Though the tagline “Keep up with the house while you keep down your weight” suggests being productive is healthy for your body, it also has a connotation that keeping the house clean and being thin are goals a wife should maintain.
Sex Sells
The tactics used to promote a product definitely depend on the targeted demographic. Nine times out of ten, if the target market is men, the ad will include a sexy woman modeling with the item they are trying to sell. This has been done for over a century and is still done today because, as we all know, sex sells.
The interesting thing about this tactic is that, in most cases, the sexy woman outshines the product. Take for example this 1959 ad for a color projector slide. Sabrina and her ample bosom are the focal points while the product itself is barely featured. We get it, a beautiful woman will catch a man’s eye, however, it is astounding just how blatant the tactic is.
At Your Service
The airline industry is a competitive one, with so many choices, it is difficult for them to capture loyal customers. While many companies focused their advertising slogans towards their fair pricing, destinations, or onboard comfort, this one, in particular, went in a completely different direction that actually started a trend.
While this vintage ad isn’t even grammatically correct, they did tap into a marketing campaign that attracted traveling businessmen (remember sex sells). Instead of focusing on their prices and plush seats, they made their beautiful flight attendants the highlight to sell more tickets.
Back to the Wifely Duties
During the 1950s and early 1960s, it was the husband in the family that made all of the financial decisions. In the majority of households, if the wife wanted to purchase something she would have to get her husband’s approval. Because of this many of the ads that should have been geared towards women were instead geared towards men.
This ad, in particular, perfectly proves my point. In an effort to sell nausea medication to women with morning sickness due to pregnancy, the advertising executives created a marketing campaign targeting their husbands. Even though a mom-to-be would gladly welcome relief, the ad states that if her husband buys her this medication, she will be able to make him breakfast again.
Fresh Breath Equals a Stable Marriage
While the ad executives targeted men with sex, they targeted women with warnings in order to sell their products. Warnings that they may never get married, warnings that they need to keep an orderly home to keep their husbands, and warnings that their husband may cheat if they do not use the item they are selling.
In this vintage ad selling breath freshener, the message is quite clear that a man will cheat if he is not happy at home. The tagline “Men are funny that way” suggests that the act of infidelity is not only inevitable should the wife be less than perfect but also that straying from the marriage is understandable.
Always a Bridesmaid
The message in this vintage ad may have been the source for the common expression “Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride”. As mentioned, advertising companies revolved around the theme that the dream of all women was to be a dutiful wife who takes care of all of their husband’s needs.
The 1928 ad suggests that a woman with bad breath would never be a bride as if that were the ultimate goal for all females. While having halitosis is something one should address, compounding insecurity by insinuating that a woman may be deprived of her fairy tale ending seems quite tacky today.
Catch You a Man
Thankfully, in today’s world women do not need to catch a man in order to be considered a successful human being, however, this was not always the case. Many vintage ads were geared towards women with “helpful hints” to avoid spinsterhood.
Where do we even begin with this ad from back in the day? It is so antiquated that you almost have to laugh. The first thing you see is a bride chasing a groom with the line saying “It’s leap year girls” suggesting that this is the year because you have one extra day to get it done. Because most women assume the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the donuts are sure to do the trick! And lastly, the ball and chain behind her back suggesting that marriage is essentially a prison.
The Perfect Gift
Another marketing tool widely used during the 1950s and 60s was the testimonial. Though looking back it is evident that the copy for the ads was most likely written by the advertising company itself, messages from “happy customers” were well received by consumers.
This vintage ad actually makes you feel sorry for poor pregnant Jean. In it, her husband is gushing that his bride is happy, pretty, and pregnant with her brand new washer and dryer. As if a woman going through the trials and tribulations of pregnancy would be thrilled with more chores added to her list. A much-appreciated gift would be if her husband did the laundry himself.
Who Wears the Pants in the Family?
You may have heard of the archaic theory that the man should “wear the pants” in the household. While this was adhered to in the earlier decades, it was typically an unspoken rule amongst a wife and her husband. This vintage 1940s ad put the “rule” right out on the table for all eyes to see.
Granted, in those days wives would often shop for their husband’s clothing, and denim was common work attire for blue-collar employees. Even so, this Lee ad took things a step further by adding the tagline “I don’t wear the pants but I buy them” suggesting that this particular wife is more than happy to let her husband make all of the decisions.
Pointing Out Imperfections
As mentioned earlier, ads geared towards women were full of warnings, however, they also depicted what would be perceived as the perfect wife while also pointing out her imperfections. This tactic was a way to encompass all women as targets whether they were completely put together or not.
The woman depicted in this ad seems as though she is the perfect wife, planning and executing a lovely picnic for her husband in the park, happy and healthy, and eager to please. Instead of enjoying the moment, the husband’s obviously distraught by the small gaps in her dress. The ad is basically sending the message to women that if they do not purchase their fasteners, they will be looked down upon by their spouses.
Idle Threats
Now we also have to discuss those companies whose ad campaigns went straight for the proverbial jugular. Playing on a women’s insecurity seemed to be a trend in the breath freshener game, it would seem that most of the ads in this arena threatened the clutches of the dreaded “other woman”.
This ad put it all out on the table with the copy “There’s another woman waiting for every man and she’s too smart to have morning breath”. This ruthless approach not only uses scare tactics to sell their product but also creates suspicion within the households of their consumers.
Physician Approved
Thankfully, with the evolution of gender roles, advertisers have had to adjust their ads to be more respectful towards women. This is not the only adjustment they have had to make as certain products have lost their luster. Because of the now-known health issues caused by smoking, cigarettes are not as “cool” as they once were.
Back in the day, smoking was quite common amongst people from all walks of life, rich, poor, young, and old. Because cigarettes were so popular, the tobacco companies advertised often to coax smokers into switching brands. This ad, in particular, boasted that Camels were the cigarette of choice for doctors implying that they were the healthier choice.
Doctor Recommended
It would seem that the previous ad gathered a favorable response from consumers because Camel took the marketing campaign one step further by singing the praises of this pictured physician. The message was loud and clear, this scientist, diplomat, and friendly sympathetic human being was a proud Camel smoker.
Though it would seem a preposterous notion nowadays to have a doctor as a spokesman for cigarettes, little was known about the dangers of smoking at that time. Having a cigarette was a social activity that the majority of the population took part in. Interestingly enough, since the realization that smoking is addictive and causes cancer, we rarely see an ad.
Recommended by Santa Himself
Rivaling companies will often take note of their competitor’s advertising campaigns and emulate them for their own gain. While this isn’t the most ethical practice, if their business benefits, anything goes. Take, for instance, this ad by Lucky Strike.
Because Camel brand cigarettes were so successful with their doctor campaign, they decided to one-up them with a testimonial from Santa Claus himself. That’s right, Santa Claus was a big proponent of Lucky Strike, even suggesting people buy them as gifts for Christmas. Obviously, this wouldn’t fly in today’s world but it just goes to show, when it comes to advertising nothing is off-limits.
Morning Mouth Masquerade
We can all agree that a person's breath is not the freshest of smells when they first wake up, right? No matter your oral hygiene routine, there may be some mornings where it is a good idea to brush your teeth prior to giving your partner a kiss. Morning mouth is natural and typically cannot be avoided.
This vintage ad from 1953 suggests that should a woman have morning breath, they will lose their man. That’s right, it would seem they have found the cure for early morning halitosis and if you buy their product, you will have a happy marriage. While it seems a bit preposterous today, because of ads like these, women were fearful that if they didn’t purchase these products, they would wind up living the life of a spinster.
Wheaties; 1940s
This one is about World War II. This comic is about some white American soldiers finding a box of Wheaties while traversing through a forest. This ad has racist undertones, seeing that all the soldiers are white.
This advert christened the cereal as the breakfast of champions that is hard to resist. This was supposed to tap into the patriotic mood at the time but it was not a nice ad.
Scare Tactics
Believe it or not, here is yet another vintage ad revolving around the evils of morning breath, however, in this scenario, the message (or threat) basically says that if a wife’s breath doesn’t smell of mint, then another woman will steal her man away. It would seem that men in the 1940s and 1950s had a real problem with this particular issue.
Honestly, you don’t even need to read the copy to get the gist of what the ad is saying, the picture is worth a thousand words. This handsome fella obviously has a wandering eye while the wife shows concern that she will be replaced. Talk about instilling fear in their readers, luckily these types of scare tactics are no longer used.
Seriously?
When your little ones are sick, and you have to work - then yes, TV can benefit them as a babysitter. But seriously, if your kids are nerds like mine, they could really benefit by viewing the right channels and programs.
Soda Ad; 1955
Today, we know more about the health effects of soda. When this ad was created back in the 50s, not much was known about how the ingredients affect health. Many companies were oblivious to the effects of their products and that is why this ad ran.
The drink’s ingredients say all you need to know; high levels of caffeine -which can induce calcium deficiency -and the equivalent of 10 spoons of sugar. Healthy? Not at all.
Pyrex Cookware; 1947
A wife who knows how to clean, cook and comfort her husband was held as the pinnacle of female achievement. It was preached that such a wife was guaranteed a happy married life in the society long before the baby boomers. Now, to cook, she needed Pyrex.
In the confines of her kitchen, the housewife worked her magic, cooking to make her children and husband happy with her cooking. No mention of love or other things that really make a marriage work. This ad came when the age of conformity was starting, and women were expected to be perfect housewives.
Spark Plug Ad;1940s
This advertisement for spark plugs was published in The Saturday Evening Post, an Indiana newspaper that was in operation since 1821. Despite all that experience, the paper published this ad. The picture on the ad shows a black man shining shoes. The white horse also asks or commands him to clean its spark plugs.
The man in the ad is supposed to look like he is obedient enough to take orders from the animal. This drawing depicts the colored man as an inferior being, who gladly takes orders from the horse. Also, the horse is white to outline white supremacy over color. A true story of how people of color were treated back then.
Tetley’s Teas; 1800s
Physical punishment in the 19th century was commonplace. This was the ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ era and parents applied this principle religiously. Tetley’s Tea did this ad claiming that the tea was as good as an exceptional child who is never beaten. This was a hard time to be a child with all the beatings and child labor.
Laws that protect children from labor such as working in factories only came into force in 1938. Children who worked were often forced into labor and treated horribly in their places of work, suffering all types of abuse in many instances. This was a bitter ad for tea that was supposed to taste sweet.
Famous for Different Reasons
Yes, back in the day, Kris and Bruce Jenner advertised a workout video, as Bruce was an amazing athlete. But today this ad would seem wrong.
While this couple may have been promoting fitness back in the day, today they seem to stand for different things altogether!
Ineffective Slimming Cream; 1909
Fat-shaming was terrible in the 1900s, much more than what you see in the 21st century. So it is to be expected that dietary gags became popular in the early 1900s. It became distasteful to be voluptuous and plump. The new fashionable trend was to be slim, even fragile and sickly.
This is where the M.S Borden Fatoff Cream came in, it was supposed to help those with plus-size bodies shed fat to achieve the slender, snakelike shape that was so fashionable. The creator of this cream was Mary Borden who claimed that the cream was effective and users wouldn’t need physical exercise or dieting. Soon the US Department of Agriculture discovered that the cream was a mixture of soap shavings and water. Ingredients that couldn’t help burn fat, so the product came to its deserved demise.
Smoking is Cool; 1957
Smoking was once a sign of being cool and glamorous. It became commonplace in the 1950s with several cultural icons including Hollywood stars like Audrey Hepburn and Jimmy Dean helping ingrain the perception that smoking was classy.
This advert was riding on that trend but in 1964, the US Surgeon General Luther Terry showed that smoking caused lung cancer. His fifteen-page report was a death knell to the esteem that came with smoking. Tobacco companies were left scampering, looking for new ways to push their products. Since then smoking has steadily been in decline, and in 2015, it hit the lowest recorded level.
Delicious Merito Rum; 1950s
The Latino has often been stereotyped as ignorant with a thick accent. The picture has been of a sombrero-wearing Puerto Rican, Mexican, or South American man.
This advertisement blends all these stereotypes complete with broken English.
Shake Weight; 2010
The shake weight ad on TV is one many wish they never saw. The Shake Weight became a great tool for working out and made its way to shows such as Saturday Night Live.
The ad is quite okay but something about it just feels wrong.
Sega, 1990
Sega is iconic in the gaming world. It brought joy to many with the legendary “Mortal Kombat” and “Sonic” games. It played a big role in igniting the gaming console culture that continues to thrive today. So what is wrong with the ad?
Well, the picture is suggestive especially when you read the ad. Cheeky adolescent joke there. As humorous as it feels, this is quite distasteful, especially considering that most users of Sega were people below adult age.
Take-My-Lips-Kit; 1972
This crazy ad sat on the back of a catalog. It asks the reader to order a “take my lips kit.” The kit includes casting materials that enable one to cast create bronze molds of their lips.
This was aimed at lovers to create ‘lip’ gifts for their partners. Outlandish idea and ad, though it might sound romantic to some.
White Man’s Burden; 1899
This is another condescending ad that advertises Pears’ Soap. In the ad, a man washes his hands, nothing wrong there. It is what’s below that is disturbing, even by the particularly low standards at the time. The claim that the soap is performing a civic duty by helping clean third-world countries would be fine, except that it also insinuates that black people are the white man’s burden.
The soap was trumpeted as a potent tool to brighten the dark corners of the worlds and made no mistake who was the master and who was the burden.
Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for Children; 1860s
The ad was not that bad really, our gripe is with the product being sold to unsuspecting customers. You see, the 1800s were an interesting time when cocaine, morphine, and other ingredients were commonplace in beverages and drugs. FDA approval stickers weren’t required on medications and the manufacturers of Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup thrived in this environment.
So when the Pure Food and Drug Act mandated that manufacturers show their ingredients on labels in 1906, this syrup would not survive. Morphine isn’t the substance any mother wants to give their children for toothache.
Wow!
It's so easy even a woman can open it? Creative MEN back then were so bad, that they didn't even consider the fact that women were the ones opening food, bottles, and whatnot in the kitchen anyway, so who are they selling this to?
Eating a what?!
With all the cute pony and unicorn cartoons, would little kids really want to eat a pony?! How was this ever a good thing? It even goes on an say "made from the goodness of ponies". Wow, this is really something.
Out of the box
Quite literally thinking out of the box. Out of the creative idea, that is. This seems like a private joke between friends and not as an ad for a real product. I do agree that in winter I would be happy to use it even with no hair.
How Do You Smell?
In the 1940s only men were allowed to smell bad. Didn't you know that? This old ad came out as deodorant started to become an issue, but of course, only women were told to smell good.
In The Navy
For sure this would never be accepted today, or even ten years ago. Back in the 1940s, being in the Navy was magical, as they got to travel the world and be at sea. So how do you make men want to join the Navy? Tell them they could have been female and missed out.
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