Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
68 Fascinating ‘Vintage Advertisements’ That Might Not Go Down Very Well Today (New Pics)
The point of an advertisement is to sell a product; that’s how it’s always been. But how companies choose to capture customers’ attention has evolved greatly over the years. And if you’re interested in getting a blast from the past, this list will instantly transport you back to the 20th century’s most amusing marketing campaigns.
We took a trip to the Vintage Advertisements subreddit and gathered some of their best posts below. While some of these ads are still brilliant, others wouldn’t go over quite as well today. But they’re all entertaining! So enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the ones that you can’t believe were featured in magazines or on television decades ago.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Between You, Your Husband And Your Senator, Planned Parenthood, 1982
RELATED:
#2
We All Got Vaccines, Except Dad
#3
McDonald's Advertisement From 1997
Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to go more than a few minutes without seeing an ad. Whether you’re reading an article online, scrolling through Instagram, walking down the street, or shopping for groceries, you’re going to be bombarded with commercials and advertisements everywhere you go. In fact, it’s estimated that people notice around 100 advertisements every single day, though some believe that we’re exposed to thousands on any given day.
That doesn’t mean that we actually remember all of the marketing we see, though. 41% of Americans say that they only remember between 1% and 10% of the ads they’ve seen in the last 24 hours. And over a quarter of individuals note that they’re never persuaded by the ads that they see.
#4
David Bowie For America's Libraries. Ad Campaign From 1987
#5
Dad, You've Got To Help Me! Responsible Drinking Message From Seagram Company Ltd, 1987
#6
Homosexuals Are Different, Mattachine Society Of New York, 1960
When it comes to what kinds of advertisements Americans are interested in, over half say they would prefer to see marketing that makes them laugh or that entertains them. And Digital Silk reports that 46% of adults say they find advertisements on television and print to be trustworthy, while the vast majority of people are skeptical of ads they spot on social media.
In the United States, 41% of consumers say that they find TV commercials to be relevant to them. And over half of Americans would prefer to watch a television show with product placement than watch a program with traditional commercial breaks. 40% of people are also annoyed with all of the ads they see online, and over a third get frustrated when they see ads based on their search history.
#7
LEGO Ad (1980)
#8
Grace Jones Honda Scooter Advert From 1984
#9
1972.groovy Toilet Seats From Sears
There’s no question that companies have had to adapt their approaches to advertising as technology has advanced. But since this list is full of vintage ads, we’ll take a journey back in time to see just what marketing was like in the 20th century. Simplicity notes that there was a significant shift in marketing between 1900 and 1920 because of how the world was changing. Suddenly, companies could reach consumers on a broader scale, through radio ads and moving picture ads.
#10
I've Robbed The Rainbow To Make You Gay. Jester Wools
#11
In 1962, Bette Davis Published This Advertisement In Variety
Multa Nocte 2 days ago
That's the year that "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" came out, ironically.
#12
Only Fans 1957
After 1920, the “Mad Men” era of advertising began. During this time, ads were all about selling the American dream, personal aspiration, and status. Advertising also started to manipulate consumers' emotions to sell more products. And companies caught on to the idea that racy photos and beautiful women could lead to a huge increase in sales.
#13
Got Milk Ads From 1999
Julie Rogers 2 days ago
I loved the Got Milk ads. We'd cut them out of magazines when they featured our favorite celebrities.
#14
My First Day With Stayfree. 1970s
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
They improved even more after that. My health teacher in the early 2000s called the 70s version 'surfboards'.
#15
1939 Children’s Laxative Ad
Then there was the “Post-War Boom” after 1940. This era of advertising was focused on targeting homeowners, while brands started thinking about retaining customers long-term. Televisions also started becoming more common in everyday Americans’ homes, so TV commercials became an incredibly effective way of marketing products.
#16
What I Like & Don’t Like In A Woman - Bill Blass Perfume Ad 1983
Multa Nocte 2 days ago
I used to wear this perfume 100 years ago. If I had known then what a giant douchebag he was I never would have worn it.
#17
Sears Men's Fashion 1960's
#18
Peter Pain Was Ben-Gay's Villainous Mascot From 1942-1965. This Ad On A 93-Year-Old NYC Subway Train Elicited A Lot Of Snickers From Today's Passengers
Next came the age of innovation. During the 1960s and 1970s, companies started getting more creative with their commercials. They could advertise on TV in color, and some commercials even started to feature celebrities. Offering coupons also became a popular direct marketing strategy, and being featured in a national ad could make an actor even more famous than being in films!
#19
Bradley Group Showers (1965)
Laszlo Larthlanc 1 day ago
Are they all singing the "I'm so happy to be hanging out wet and naked with other good looking men" song?
#20
Battleship (1967)
#21
1950s Ad For New Home
SleepyVampire 2 days ago
$9800 in 1955 is roughly $118,500 now. A price anyone would be thrilled to pay for a house with a pool.
As technology advanced rapidly between 1980 and 2000, marketing agencies had to evolve as well. Suddenly, they had to learn how to advertise on the internet, while e-commerce started to change the way consumers purchased anything and everything. And today, of course, we’re in the era of social media marketing. From influencers swearing by certain products that have sponsored them to your Instagram feed being flooded with ads, it’s impossible to avoid commercials today.
#22
Print Ad For The Dynamite Underwear Line By Munsingwear From 1973
#23
"I Suffered From Menstrual Cramps." - 1968 Femicin Ad
#24
Bike Pipe 1980
Forrest Hobbs 1 day ago
"Ride high" "Stick your doobie inside". Yeah - this isn't about smoking tobacco...😬 And then there's the whole "no helmet, bare arms" business. I dunno - was this some kind of CIA plot to eliminate bikers? 😉🤣 (I ride motorcycles, and the pedal powered version. Only, always with protective gear and never with any sort of drúg that'd stop me doing it safely.)
Are you enjoying this list of iconic vintage advertisements, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that you find particularly entertaining, and let us know in the comments below what the most clever ads you’ve ever seen were. Then, if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article featuring retro ads, we’ve got the perfect list to read next right here!
#25
Don't Let That Cold Stop You. Use Minipoo. Late 50s Early 60s
#26
Now She Can Cope...medical Journal Ad, 1965
#27
Wake Up Gay In The Morning!!!!!
#28
Exclusive Prelubricated Tip Makes Insertion Easy And Medically Correct [1950s]
Crissy Newbury 1 day ago
I was about 14 and I remember sending off for free samples. Then I ended up throwing them away because I was scared my mother would find out.
#29
Only Bugles Remain
UnclePanda 2 days ago (edited)
We always called Bugles "tasty little trumpets of grease!" I pick a bag once a year or so and they still fit on my fingers. Still tasty, too.
#30
Ad For Mcdonald’s Breakfast From 1977
Multa Nocte 2 days ago
McDonald's DID have a fairly decent breakfast back in the day, although the trend didn't last very long.
#31
1967 - Rice Council Of America Trying To Win The Hearts Of The “Meat And Potatoes” Crowd
#32
A 1920s Peerless Ice Cream Advert
#33
Care To Take A Chance?
#34
Tupac And Jada Pinkett Smith In An Ad For Mondawmin Mall In 1987
#35
“He's A Tough And Rugged Little Guy With A Look You Have To Love." My Buddy From Hasbro, 1985
Julie Rogers 2 days ago
Still have the jingle stuck in my head. "My buddy, my buddy, wherever I go, he goes, my buddy ....
#37
1987 Mcdonald’s Ad
#38
Budweiser 1950s
Lee Gilliland 1 day ago (edited)
Anybody remember a song titled "Why didn't we get drunk and scr*w"?
#39
Hydrox Throwing Shade At Oreos (1954)
#40
1949 Formica
#41
Oprah Winfrey, Unforgettable Woman, Revlon, 1989
#42
Maybelline’s Kissing Potion (1981)
#43
Lightboy For Use With Nintendo Game Boy (1990)
#44
Ad From An Issue Of Popular Science Magazine Telling People To Burn Their Old Batteries Because The Burning Zinc May Help Clean Your Chimney. Also, Colorful Flames. 1951
Ace 2 days ago
In fact with the batteries they had back then this was nowhere near as harmful as it sounds today - they were not sealed, generally enclosed in a cardboard case, so would not explode, and were constructed mostly from zinc and carbon, relatively harmless. Some harmful chemicals were used in small amounts though, but unless you directly inhaled the fumes the effect on atmospheric pollution was minimal. Not to be recommended, of course, but not quite as bad as it sounds.
nicholas nolan 2 days ago
Yeah, you don't want to inhale zinc oxide fumes. I worked at a zinc die cast plant when I got out of high school, and "metal fume fever" is not something you want to experience.
Load More Replies...
Hippopotamuses 1 day ago
A house in my suburb burned down and the flames produced lots of pretty colours. They must have had a lot of batteries.
#45
1944 Life Savers Hard Candy Advertising
#46
Shirley Simkins And Sally Hayes, Lfersavers, 1957
#47
Vote For The New M&M's Color, 1995
#49
Introducing Twiggy Lashes By Yardley (1967)
Multa Nocte 2 days ago
I idolised Twiggy when I was young. She was every single thing I ever wanted to be.
#50
Meet Fred Flintstone And Barney Rubble At The Catonville Supermart (1969)
#51
KitchenAid [1954]
#52
Wendy’s Pick-Up Cup, 1985
#53
1968 Hangman Bicycle Sissy Bar
#54
I Found A Teenager’s Jewelry Box Decoupaged With Ads (1970)
#55
Salon Selectives (1987)
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 2 days ago
Wow! I'd forgotten all about these. Now the jingle is in my head.
#56
Sears Open Hearth Family Room Furniture Ad, 1977
Laserleader 1 day ago
This is the sets my grandparents had. Those cushions were covered with a burlap type material and very itchy on skin, but they made great cushion forts. They were made of carved wood with a spring box underneath, so they never broke.
#57
Mebaral, 1959
#58
1950s Cardboard Grocery Store Standee For Donald Duck Orange Juice!
#59
Virginia Slims Promotional Sewing Needles I Found In My Mom’s Sewing Supplies
#60
Jnco Jeans, 1998
#61
The Princess Telephone. Bell Telephone Systems (1960)
Lee Gilliland 1 day ago
Before this, you could have a phone in any color as long as it was black. Color phones were huge when they fist arrived.
#62
"She Wondered Why He Lost Interest So Quickly" - It Was B.o., Lifebuoy Ad
#63
1920s Orange Crush Advertisement
#64
Duracell Powercheck (1996)
Julie Rogers 2 days ago
These hurt my thumbs. So much pressure required to see the power level ....
#65
1970s Jeno's Before They Were Totino's Pizza Rolls
#66
1977 Kmart Back-To-School Ad
Crissy Newbury 1 day ago
Early 80s - bought my boys some tweedy trousers as part of their school uniform. The refused to wear them because they were “too itchy”.
#67
Who Is Getting That Half-Cherry? (1950s)
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
Why was there only ever one or two cherries in tinned fruit salad? My siblings and I always fought over them.
#68
Burger King, 2002
Tucker Cahooter 2 days ago
So 2002 is "vintage" now? I guess I had better toddle off to the old folks' home then
Add New Image
What do you think ?
nicholas nolan 2 days ago
The common theory is that BP is having some sort of glitch in their censoring system.
Load More Replies... nicholas nolan 2 days ago
The common theory is that BP is having some sort of glitch in their censoring system.
Load More Replies... You May Like 75 Fascinating Vintage Products That Were The Jam Back In The Day, But Now Look Odd 50 Old Ads That Show Which Values Changed And Which Stayed The Same Over Time 40 Fascinating, Funny, And Bizarre Vintage Ads That Show How Marketing Worked Back In The Day
Viktorija Ošikaitė
Gabija Palšytė
Rugilė Žemaitytė
Related on Bored Panda
