Getting an old magazine or newspaper is a fantastic way to start exploring the past. See how people once used their language, what was included, and excluded. Memorizing events is all fine and dandy, but these don’t actually show how people would approach everyday life. Advertisements are a great way to approach what people liked and wanted.
Through the magic of the internet, we now are able to catalog and share all sorts of ads from the past online. So prepare to look into a different time as you scroll through, be sure to upvote our favorites and comment your thoughts on these truly vintage ads below.
Listen beautiful relax classics on our Youtube channel.
#1 Esprit (1980’s)
Image credits: lovemypennydog
#2 Garfield Telephone By Tyco (1978)
Image credits: TaimSolas
#3 They All Got The Vaccine.. Except Dad, 1958
Image credits: 80sforeverr
Often, the 50s and 60s were referred to as a sort of golden age of advertising. It’s no accident that the hit show Mad Men was set during this time period when both the science of marketing and economic booms all came together. It was the first time brands started to really think about a solid image to create and maintain and companies started to spend a lot of money working out ways to entice buyers.
This “golden age” wasn’t just a one-way street of businesses realizing that marketing had its advantages, it coincided with a lot of economic prosperity in the United States, as more and more families had money to spend on luxury items. In general, spending was no longer taboo, as it may have been during the great depression and companies found that they really did have to compete with a whole host of competitors.
#4 Ray Ban 1998 Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#5 Remember Digging Through The Entertainment Section Of The Newspaper To Find The Movie Listings?
Image credits: Kevin_Finkel
#6 Advertisement For Bacardi Rum Warning Against The Dangers Of Drunk Driving (1986)
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
Once you add in all the new possibilities for where and how to display ads, you get a melting pot of creativity. Radio had been around for a while, but soon marketing teams realized that TV was a great medium to promote something. At the same time, many Americans were purchasing cars and traveling, making billboards potentially more effective. The result is that creatives, from cinematographers to musicians and artists could all be employed to make eye or ear-catching ads.
#7 1988 Penn Tennis Ball Ad Promoting The French Open
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#8 With A Smile
Listen beautiful relax classics on our Youtube channel.
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#9 Jester Wools (1947, UK)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
Despite the veritable buffet of possibilities, many vintage ads were quite classy and creative, perhaps a result of many of the best minds going into advertising. WV’s classic “think small” ad for the beetle is a good example of modernizing a pre-war car with an eye-catching, minimalist poster. It was also a clever way to stand out by not being more loud, flashy, or bombastic than many of its competitors.
#10 In 1962, Bette Davis Placed This Ad In Variety
Image credits: DualCay0te
#11 Pan American Airlines (1956)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#12 Apple Computers Late 90s
Image credits: Djf47021
Curious readers can find a number of clever tricks used in the “think small” ad, including the way the car is angled to direct the reader toward the text. This text actually ends with a period, which was quite uncommon for the time, while the entire poster was black and white. This actually helped it stand out, as by 1959 most visual display ads would be in color.
#13 Man Looking For A Wife In 1865
Image credits: dannydutch1
#14 “Past Present Future?”, Western Electric, 1959
Image credits: AspireAgain
#15 Cottonelle Colored Toilet Paper (1982)
Image credits: lovemypennydog
Other companies started to realize that they didn’t just have to sell a product, they could sell themselves, as a brand. These days, this has reached such a position that there are consumers who will buy something not because they like the product, but because they like the brand. Apple is a prime example of this. The origins of this idea can be traced back to a couple of different examples, including the Cadbury Flake Girl.
#16 Best Buy, 1999
Image credits: TommyAdagio
#17 Honestly The Graffiti Is Better
Image credits: burgermiester288
#18 “Someday Roads Will Tell Cars Where To Go” Gm (1969)
Image credits: Ebonystealth
This would allow a large corporation to suddenly morph into a more personified character that people might relate to and even like. Other companies would try to associate their brand with enduring, desirable qualities, like reliability and innovation. This also freed up advertisers to expand on what they could show and talk about, as the topic no longer had to just be a product or service.
#19 Game Boy Ad 1990s
Image credits: Djf47021
#20 1978 Star Wars Vaccination Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#21 Pizza Hut Oven In Sears Catalog (1977) “Put Up The ‘Official’ Sign And You’re In Business!”
Image credits: lemmycaution25
These days, companies can and do actively advertise to children. In the past, it made sense to target adults, as they were the ones with any real purchasing power, but marketers quickly learned that a persistent child could talk parents into quite a lot. Similarly, many young adults were already working, so they could be persuaded to spend some of their hard-earned cash on luxuries and entertainment.
#22 Ge Widescreen 1000 – General Electric Performance Television – 1978
Image credits: XboxSpectre
#23 When I’m 64
Image credits: Yahtrok
#24 Panasonic “Don’t Listen To Squares” 1973
Image credits: lemmycaution25
#25 Mcdonald’s, 1987 Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#26 How To Carry 20 Megabytes Of Data Around In 1985
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 Electricity Was New Once. These Signs Were Mostly In Hotel Rooms And Other Public Places
Image credits: Gwendolyn7777
#28 American Airlines, 1971
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#29 1965 Ge Ad
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#30 1950s Ad For Methedrine Brand Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Aka Speed)
Image credits: lythy2016
#31 Remember When Brach’s Pick A Mix Was The Best Thing About Going To The Grocery Store? (1970s)
Image credits: DiosMioMan2
#32 1956 “Modern Hair Styling”
Image credits: Ebonystealth
#33 Sony Walkman 1980
Image credits: susierabbit
#34 Mitsubishi Movievision Projection TV (1979)
Image credits: RexLayne
#35 Daihatsu Hijet Ad From 1996
Image credits: DualCay0te
#36 This TV Looks Like It’s Going To Kill Her!
Image credits: reddit.com
#37 One Oregon Newspaper Clip Reads: “We Appeal To Your Civil Patriotism To Co-Operate With Us In Our Effort To Stamp Out The Spanish Influenza Or “Flu” Plague In Portland By Wearing A Mask.”
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#38 Personal Ads, 1957
Image credits: DualCay0te
#39 Knox Gelatine (1938)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#40 Nutone Intercom-Radio, 1962
Image credits: DualCay0te
#41 Really, Really Excited About Hot Dogs (1950s)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#42 Sears, 1975
Image credits: RexLayne
#43 Sugar Information Inc., 1964
Image credits: Fat_Sad_Human
#44 I’m Pretty Sure Everyone Had One Of These
Image credits: Ebonystealth
#45 Mcdonald’s, 1975 Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#46 Ad From A Finnish Teen/Music Magazine Suosikki 1983
Image credits: olarinoid
#47 “Is Your Kid Living In A Dream World?” Ad Placed In Ebony Magazine Encouraging Minorities To Pursue Stem Careers. General Electric, 1979
Image credits: AspireAgain
#48 Only One Of Its Kind, The Coronation Imperial, Chrysler, 1953
Image credits: Slow-moving-sloth
#49 Toll Booth Quarter Gun (1962)
Image credits: GymbagDarrel
#50 Life Savers ~ Fancy Fruits (1965)
Image credits: TaimSolas
#51 Vintage Soda Cans Dates Unknown
Image credits: 70sTimewarp58
#52 Beauty Is More Then Skin Deep, Cordless Massager, Anthony Enterprises, 1971
Image credits: Slow-moving-sloth
#53 The Original Burger King Whopper In 1963
Image credits: reddit.com
#54 Dr. Nut Was An Almond Flavored Beverage – In New Orleans We Call Them “Cold Drinks,” But Never “Soda” Or “Pop” – With An Aroma Similar To Amaretto. [1930]
Image credits: reddit.com
#55 Personal Ads, 1951
Image credits: DualCay0te
#56 Modern Home Floor Plan, Sears 1934 Catalog
Image credits: DualCay0te
#57 You No Longer Have To Sacrifice Power For Portability. Game Keeper Ad, 1991
Image credits: DualCay0te
#58 The Establishment Wig, 1968
Image credits: reddit.com
#59 1976 – The Green Machine
Image credits: mistermajik2000
#60 No, K Mart, No
Image credits: Dreams_of_Eagles
#61 1980s Sony Cassettes Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#62 Lucky Strike Ad – 1930s
Image credits: MyIpodStillWorks
#63 A Terrifying Way To Start Your Day: Post’s Sugar Krinkles
Image credits: Ebonystealth
#64 Personals, 1971
Image credits: DualCay0te
#65 A Century Of Juicy Fruit Gum
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#66 Universal Food Chopper (1899)
Image credits: Noviblue
#67 1998 Milk Ad With Conan O’brien
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#68 So Much 80’s Packed Into One Ad. 1987
Image credits: MVPkraty
#69 Life Savers, 1958
Image credits: algebramclain
#70 Palestine Tourism Posters, 1930s
Image credits: reddit.com
#71 Campbell’s Soup On The Rocks (1960)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#72 Call Home And Have A Chat With Your Vcr, 1989
Image credits: RexLayne
#73 “Some Day All Beer Cans Will Open This Easy!”, Schlitz, 1962
Image credits: AspireAgain
#74 “Paul Masson Will Sell No Wine Before It’s Time” 1980
Image credits: DiosMioMan63
#75 Tmnt Pies, Hostess, 1991
Image credits: DualCay0te
#76 “The Day My Kid Went Punk… What Do You Do When Your Bright, Loveable, Talented Kid Turns Into A Punker Overnight?” – Abc Afterschool Special, Oct. 23, 1987
Image credits: DiosMioMan63
#77 Plushy Mushroom Stools, Montgomery Ward’s Fall/Winter 1972 Catalog
Image credits: DualCay0te
#78 Mcdonalds 1969
Image credits: 70sTimewarp58
#79 Eat Ironized Yeast (1930s)
Image credits: reddit.com
#80 “Sugar’s Got What It Takes” Sugar Information, Inc 1960’s
Image credits: susierabbit
#81 Yes, These Are Telephones. Created By The Ericsson Company Of Sweden In The 1940s, Marketed In The 1950s
Image credits: reddit.com
#82 Citroën 2cv, 80’s
Image credits: Superbuddhapunk
#83 Mcdonalds Onion Nuggets
Image credits: Ebonystealth
#84 Matchbook Ad For Camp Wandawega In Elkhorn, Wi
Image credits: reddit.com
#85 1979 Ad For London Transit Showing How The City Would Look If Built By American Planners
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#86 Bell Telephone Long Distance Ad (1982)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#87 Cellophane (1954): Better Living Through Chemistry
Image credits: PhilThecoloreds
#88 Wold Wad Wi Wfound Wfor Wrangler Win Wmy Wbasement
Image credits: fallingshoes
#89 “It’s Almost Like Having Another Lover There With The Two Of You.”
Image credits: MrCarnality
Source: boredpanda.com