50 Absolutely Brilliant Ads That Were Praised For Their Ingenuity
Nowadays, it seems like advertisements are unavoidable. If you want to watch a video online, you’ll have to suffer through two commercials before it even starts, as well as several sprinkled throughout the video that will go on for 5 minutes unless you click “skip.” We see them on social media, on billboards and sometimes even plastered all over cars.
In this world of incessant advertising, it’s hard to find an ad that truly stands out. But one subreddit is dedicated to finding the most brilliant pieces of marketing and sharing them online. Below, you’ll find some incredibly clever ads that have been spotted all around the world, so enjoy scrolling through and be sure to upvote the designs that you find particularly effective!
This post may include affiliate links.
"Protect Wildlife, Before It's Too Late" WWF Deutschland Campaign
For those who don‘t know: Deutschland is Germany. So this is WWF Germany. The text on the bottom says: „Protect our animal species, before it‘s too late“
A reply to our genius BP @Kerry Carolan: you are aware that the BP community consists of all ages and nationalities? And that some might not (yet) know that Germany = Deutschland? You might also be aware of the fact that the pictures titels' not always display/translate to what is written in the picture... So for none German speakers it might be nice to know that in this case the BP headline and the writing in the picture are actually the same! ...Yours sincerely, another insufferable smartass
Load More Replies...I'd be worried about getting sued, regardless of country, but, hey, brave and smart.
One Click Can Change Your Future
But you can buy clips that trick the seat belt into thinking it's correctly fitted. What kind of maniac thinks about that, let alone manufactures them?
Funnily enough lots of Greek and Turkish cab drivers have them.
Load More Replies...I thought it was an instruction manual for Doctors: Insert Tab A into Slot B.
Load More Replies...This makes me thinkbof the only F1 druver to ever be awarded the world championship after he died. Jochen Rindt didn't like having the crotch partnof the seat belt clipped in. He had a accident, slid down bevause the crotch belt wasn't attached, and the top of the belt slit his throat.1
I did not mean to put those questions mark there, don't know how that happens?
Load More Replies...About 15 years ago, maybe further back, there was a photo that went viral about a guy who crashed head on into a semi while texting and driving. His spine was severed completely and you could see it in the photo. It was shown to us as a warning in Driver's Ed to not text and drive. I wonder if they had that I'm mind when they created this.
Next step: Female friendly belts. How hard can it be to make those? Would a more vertical strap work better? So the point where the two belts meet is more on your belly than to your side? So you'd only need an elongation piece between the clip and "insert". And a lower belt probably, now it goes up too high along the side of my head. It's been on my mind a bit more lately due to having changed my piercings, kinda worried if my nipple would be ripped off because the belt latching behind the piercing because it goes across my boob.. (No I doesn't stay under my boob).
Perhaps I'm not understanding your description well, but having the belts meet on your belly instead of your side (or not on any area with bone) puts you at major risk of internal bleeding if you're in a bad enough crash. That's why carseat harness clips are supposed to be over the sternum. The idea is that if you're in a crash that sends you in a forward motion, bony areas (rib cage, pelvis, shoulders) take the sudden impact, instead of the straps hitting your neck or abdomen. I do agree that there should be ways to adjust the height of the diagonal belt (I'm barely tall enough), but for the boobs issue, I can't personally see a way around it.
Load More Replies...No Easy Way Out - Women's Helpline
Woah.....just left my husband of 16 1/2 years and everyone keeps praising me and lifting me up and damn it it's beautiful 😭if I can do it ANYONE can do it!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Good for you. Much luck in your journey and healing.
Load More Replies...This is *NO WAY* blames the victim - it acknowledges the situation many victims find themselves in and offers a quiet kind of hope - hey - someone out there *get it*. Someone KNOWS what I'm going through, maybe they can help? Instead of all the family and friends just saying "why don't you just leave?" THAT is victim blaming. It IS NOT THAT SIMPLE, if it were there would be no problem. - go ahead and downvote me from your high horses - I LIVED it, I SURVIVED it. I GET IT. Acknowledgement for Adrian, yes men are victimized too, but I believe help for women is more prevalent because women are usually also the caregivers to the children of the relationship who are also victims in one way or another.
Statistics speak for themselves. Money goes where the need is
Load More Replies...After four years, I had a choice, a mental institution, or walk out. I walked out and didn't look back. Easier said than done, but you can do it.
Much easier said than done...but wow, what a difference your whole self feels when you finally can/do and have started to heal. I speak from personal experience. I forgot who I was for a long time. It took a while to find myself again, but I'm so happy to be free from that abuse.
Load More Replies...Powerful imagery 😔 Was in that situation myself and escaped in 1998. Divorced ASAP. Bit shocked to realise that is 26 years ago 😕
Advertising is not the easiest field to work in. Most people are often annoyed by ads and do everything in their power to avoid them. Whether that means installing an ad-blocker on their internet browser or paying a little extra to avoid commercials when watching shows online, it’s worth it to keep those annoying advertisements from infiltrating your peace.
Every now and then, however, we encounter marketing that’s so brilliant, we don’t even mind the fact that it’s advertising a product. After all, we all need to buy things, so we might as well support companies that we think advertise well! That’s why this subreddit dedicated to sharing amazing ads exists. This community has over 461k members, and it’s the perfect place to go if you spot an incredible ad that you’ve just got to share!
Thai Restaurant In A Small Town In Ireland
Did you see the cartoon In the window asking for iceberg lettuce
Load More Replies...Cute name but I'm not sure it is a win to associate your food business with a lot of people dying.
Meh....pretty much everyone is desensitized to the outcome of the titanic....including me,there's more serious things going on now
Load More Replies...Travel Faster With A Good Book - National Library Of Singapore
Littering Says A Lot About You - Live Green Toronto
Dipstick was the absolute height of profanity in the 6th grade!
This was a great campaign, here are more of them: https://campaignsoftheworld.com/print/live-green-toronto-littering-says-a-lot-about-you/
Yeah, I don't know how to post pics in comments but there's a "pig" "lazy" "lowlife" "selfish" and "dumb" version of this ad, those I found in a quick Google search
Load More Replies...I wish people had more respect for the planet and pick up their trash or put it into trash cans. This is the our only home and only planet we have to live on. People, you wouldn't trash your home out, so don't do it to our planet.
I think of this All the time. Irks me when I see people littering.
Load More Replies...Instead of the "stick" wrapper, they could have used some dog poo that some dog owner didn't bother cleaning up.
As with anything else in life, what makes for a great ad is subjective and can depend on many factors. But according to strategic growth advisor James Cole, step one is understanding your target audience. Marketing to Gen Z is going to be very different from creating an ad that targets boomers. So it’s important to understand how your audience speaks, where they like to get their information and what appeals to them.
Step two is knowing your competition. Find out exactly how they’re advertising and whether it’s working for them or not. You can learn from their successes or their failures and work to create an ad that’s even better. You want to stand out, while still managing to grab the attention of the same audience.
IKEA Early Christmas Sale Ad (2014)
I want to upvote but my hatred of pre halloween christmas sales means I can't!
In what country does Ikea do sales?? They never do in my country!
J&b Scotch Whiskey (1990)
Change the tune just a bit and " its Christmas time in the petri dish"
Load More Replies...Has to be around 30 years ago. I remember pulling the ad out of a magazine in high school.
Load More Replies...The 'holidays' are FAR more enjoyable with something better than J&B Scotch WHISKY. But even J&B is far better than US type 'whiskey'.
A Local Lawyer
I really like this one because? If you're in a car accident and you're not to blame? Such as being rear ended? I highly doubt you're going to say straight away, just after it happens, things such as - "Oh Heavens To Betsy!!!" or "Good Gosh!!!" 😄... So instead of calling the other person a MF? Call this MF instead!!!
Because when I think "distinguished law firm" I think, "jokes that might be funny in HS or at a college frat party".
It's not a distinguished law firm. They're ambulance chasers.
Load More Replies...When advertising, James Cole says it’s also key to know all the ins and outs of the product or service you’re providing. Understanding all of the key features and benefits is crucial, so you can highlight them in any ads. And you’ll need clearly defined objectives as well. Whether you want to reach a more international audience, a younger audience, etc., you need to tailor your advertising specifically to that goal. But always remember to be honest. False advertising is a quick way to create a terrible ad, and sometimes even a lawsuit, so it’s important to avoid the temptation to bend the truth.
Nike Ad By Wieden+ Kennedy Featuring Young Serena Williams
The sad reality is that children who look just like her are making those damn shoes on a "salary" that can't even feed them, much less their families. This is a really terrible ad, actually. This is a poop ad, for a poop company, that shouldn't even be in business today (and yes, I know, not the only company that should not be in business).
I don't understand why this is supposed to be clever, let alone be "brilliant" or be "ingenious"...
No, sometimes people have relics of the past. They're known as "photographs"
Load More Replies...TG4: Irish TV Ad For Women's Gaelic Football Season
I guess there is a ball underneath, but no matter what, every day in my female life is important, I do not define my life by creating another life. I am childfree by choice, and I didn't regret it in 45+ years. Stop defining women by uterus. We are no walking talking incubators.
Your down voters seems to think so. Probably some miserable parents.
Load More Replies...I don't know. I feel like applying to gender stereotypes to promote a sport defying gender sterotypes doesn't really add up.
I know its not really that deep but ehhhhh smth feels weird-
Load More Replies...World Vision - He Sees What Can't Be Shown
Given for how long humanitarian aid went down to Africa and how little success it has I personally question if that is something worth donating for to be honest
I remember reading somewhere that African receive about 30 billion a year in aid but loses out on 40 billion in export tax to ex colonial powers. Aid makes a difference but it's a losing battle in an unfair game.
Load More Replies...Africa is so diverse in every sector of every country, that it's really difficult to even try to get a grasp on even simple problems such as ensuring a reasonable education or a stable and efficient water supply and so complex that inevitably there is bureaucracy at every level which always impacts the poorest the most ...... I hate to say it (and hang my head in shame at this realisation) , but most of the countries in Africa that were under colonial rule were better run for the majority of the population and starvation was not the norm as it is now. Apart from Belgian Congo (look it up) under mad King Leopold who considered it his personal slave colony and treated the whole black population appallingly. This is not just my point of view but also of a few African friends of mine who just want the corrupt politicians kicked out, especially those who rule their countries along their historic tribal lines .....
They are burying a loved one. Probably death due to starvation, considering the child's prominent vertebrae.
Load More Replies...so tired of this trope of starving dying africans. Here's some photos of my city. https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/sandton-city-street-view.html ... I mean what must we now post photos of america? 06californ...eLarge.jpg
I feel for you and no I'm not being sarcastic. There are so many places in the US that needs help just as much as other countries. The homeless, gang violence, families that are forced to do without basic necessities are all problems that we have right here at home. I know and see firsthand what is happening in some of our communities since I've spent my entire life in what people consider "The Hood or Ghetto." I stayed to help my Mom and now that I'm on disability I really can't afford to move. I live in a 4 bdr, 1 1/2 bath house where my mortgage is only $850.00 A month plus utilities. So I have 3 family members as roommates (we have a complicated relationship) because my disability can't cover all of it, between medical bills and prescriptions, I don't have a choice in the matter. I worked over 25 years straight and paid into Social Security, so I don't feel guilty since I've been off work since Jan 2018, didn't start drawing on it until Oct 2021 which I hired a lawyer to get it.
Load More Replies...Poverty doesn't stop wasting to love your significant other, nor does it supply birth control. Poverty also doesn't stop ràpe.
Load More Replies...While some advertisers might be brilliant at what they do, it’s important for anyone marketing to test, test and test again, James Cole says. Test your ads on small audiences and get feedback about what they liked and didn’t like. Make some changes and keep repeating the process until you’re happy with what you hear. Launching an ad that will be seen by the entire country, or perhaps all around the world, can be very costly, so it’s important to make sure you have the perfect ad ready to go when you finally share it with the world.
Maxell (1990)
So well received that poster were made without the advertising. I know a guy who had it on his wall.
Load More Replies...Maxell and TDK were my go-to cassettes for trading Dead shows and making mix tapes.
Colgate Floss, 2011
Same! Vasectomy. Keep the kiwis, lose the seeds.
Load More Replies...They have tiny black seeds that get stuck in your teeth.
Load More Replies...Never really had an issue with kiwi seeds. Now raspberry seeds on the other hand......!!
Now I'm hungry. Had some delicious Kiwi just last week. Now I want more.
Aren't you special! Gold star for you!! ⭐
Load More Replies...Mississippi Department Of Transportation Ad Against Distracted Driving
This woman ahead of me was so busy applying lipstick whilst driving she barely noticed the crossing ahead and i had to slam on my breaks so hard i almost mistweeted my disgust when i dropped my phone
Uh please. Women and makeup have been blamed for car accidents since the 50s. Please put the emphasis where it belongs - cell phones and aggressive driving.
Saw a woman putting makeup on whilst driving at over 70mph on the motorway, I had to swerve to avoid her and nearly spilt my coffee all over my phone……
I know this is very polarizing, but this is the first add I have ever seen addressing this issue. The point of the post is to show interesting advertisements. And honestly I see at least 1-3 people on my daily commute putting on any thing from foundation to eye liner while using their mirror and going 70mph on the highway. And I do see much more with cell phones, but one does not excuse the other.
I once saw a women driving, at speed, on the highway …one hand on the steering wheel while painting her nails with the other 🤦🏽♀️
A lot more people are doing everything behind the wheel of their vehicle, except drive.
No worse than the one created for South Dakota... "Don't jerk and drive"....
I've seen a man with a newspaper full open spread across his steering wheel while driving on the interstate. This was before cell phones...
Forbes also has their own recipe for creating the perfect advertisement. After it’s been confirmed that you know your audience, they recommend creating a captivating headline. This might include making a promise, including statistics about your brand and making a personal pitch to your target audience. It can also be wise to assure your potential customer base that you can solve a problem they have. Don’t just boast about how great your product is, but explain what exactly it can do for them.
Volkswagen Polo Ad (2005)
If there is, that's my brother's Christmas present this year
Load More Replies...King Kong stepped on the Polo, but it's so tough he just hurt his foot
Load More Replies...You can actually 'feel'this picture. If you have kids it's a feeling you've felt many times over. The hardest part is trying not to curse out loud.
This Canon Camera Ad On A Suzuki Jimny
That would be cool! But this is a Dutch car, and in the Netherlands there's no such thing as custom license plates.
Load More Replies...It's a van of a product photography studio, hence the camera.
Load More Replies...IKEA Ad For Upcoming Store Opening In Oxford Street, London
I couldn't figure it out until I read the comments. But of course I don't shop at IKEA a whole lot either.
I bought one of the tiny bags they sold as keyring/coin purses for a while, and I use it as my wallet now! It's the perfect size for my credit card and drivers license!
Load More Replies...Including a call to action can also be helpful in advertising. Let your audience know exactly what they need to do to get their hands on your product. Should they call to make an appointment, hop online to place an order or go to their local grocery store to pick it up? Forbes explains that by providing customers with options for purchase, it makes it easier for their minds to jump from seeing an ad to actually making a purchase, without requiring much thought in between.
McDonald's - Loved By All
My (64f) girlfriend and I rode our horses through the drive-in of McDonalds. In 1976. They disallowed nonmotorized transport after that so we had to tie them up around back.
Ohhhh so it’s YOUR fault I can’t go through the drive-thru by bicycle! :p
Load More Replies...Not me -- my last McD's burger was GREY. And they treat their employees badly.
Yeah, I got food poisoning from eating a McD burger
Load More Replies...And there's probably a photo which incriminates someone ( cheating on diet, or a person) ? Kinda blurry, maybe not.
1968 Magazine Ad
I am old enough to remember ads like this. Now you can purchase "personal vibrators" even at places like Walmart and they don't try to pretend they are for your neck. But back in the 60s-70s that would never fly so the ads were more like this.
I saw them in Tesco recently - I was shocked. It's good that the stigma is going, but good grief
Load More Replies...Yeah, how else were they gonna sell them back in the day? People understood what they were for but kids didn't understand enough to be "traumatised ". They couldn't have the text of picture be too clear, but still clear enough to let the intended customers know what it was. I even suggested that my mom should get one because of her stiff shoulders.
I work at a popular thrift chain.. and let me just say there are hundreds of personal massagers for every occasion. I do not process them though, even new in the box lol. Don't buy used socks, panties, and adult massagers second hand. There are people that absolutely do
You should open up a "sloppy seconds" section in your thrift store
Load More Replies...After Six 1972
I am female and I want every single one of these shirts XD
Load More Replies...I would like to see men step up to colors at formal affairs. But ditch the ruffles.
I had the biggest crush on a boy whose senior class picture was taken of him in a lavender ruffled front tuxedo shirt with a butterfly bow tie. For some stupid reason I remember his birthday. That boy turned 70 two days ago.
The goal when creating an ad is to make something that will be memorable for years, or even decades, to come. Wyzowl has compiled a list of some of the best commercials of all time, and it’s likely you remember many of them. First, they mention the Dumb Ways to Die Australian Metro ad, which featured lots of creatures being sliced and killed in various ways to encourage travelers to make smart decisions when using public transit. If you’ve seen the ad before, you’re likely singing it in your head right now!
Nike - Your Only Limit Is You
Now that's clever and fun! I love seeing that creative side to people:)
I think they mean 'you' as in your willpower and determination. The whole point of the ad is that Nike helps you overcome any limits of your body.
Load More Replies...I read that backwards, it looks like they are saying that guy is limited.
You are right, that can be read in a bad way, so not a very good add. And why have they made him look like a AI , should be a more realistic photo of him.
Load More Replies...Breast Cancer Now - Beat It
I hope they are having better results in their fight against breast cancer than the results of that match.
Jim Beam (1990)
I appreciate your noticing- I'm just under personal attack. You may not some of my comments are blunt- and some not necessarily popular. Plus ça change.
Load More Replies...Bing Crosby used to beat his children, and his wife. I don't care how wonderful his voice is, I don't support that.
I’m curious. Was cosmikid downvoted because everyone misread Crosby as Cosby? I don’t understand why else his comment was downvoted.
Too bad the man (Bing) was a "strict disciplinarian" to his kids . But at the same time we have to remember times were different and they may not have known any better. Not an excuse but it is an explanation and those are two different things. And yes, that has pretty much nothing to do with the post itself. I'm slightly inebriated.
What's wrong with Disco Noel? Or Sing Along With Mitch Christmas? Now, I do understand the problem with Tiny Tim Singing Christmas...ewwww
We hope you’re enjoying this compilation of some of the world’s best ads, pandas! Keep upvoting the ones you find particularly clever, and let us know in the comments below if you’ve ever seen any ads that you were impressed with. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring fabulous ads, look no further than right here!
Pink Flamingoes (1987)
“Ruin you neighbourhood”…hilarious…at least they’re honest! I love that the cheque should be made out to “The Cat’s Pyjamas” 😸
That's the name of the company. They had some really cool stuff in their catalogs, lots of flamingo items, retro items
Load More Replies...Really terrible text wrap though, reading it as two separate groups of text
I did not get this at all until I read your comment. It is terrible for sure
Load More Replies...You sure can!! And now they come in all kinds of colors and designs even a black with white skeleton for Halloween (US). I had a few in a former homes yard but when the creator Donald Featherstone passed away back in 2015, I made sure to get the specific original kind. It's true "trailer park decor" LOL American lawn kitsch at it's best!!
Load More Replies..."And don't forget around the bathtub." I am a member of the online group "Save the pink bathroom." We are dedicated to making sure that vintage pink bathrooms are restored and celebrated as the treasures they are. If they were good enough for Jamie Eisenhower, they are good enough for us.
Lol. This one made me giggle. We live on a corner and we always have the same crazy nieghborhood people, (Who rev thier engine and speed down our street late at night or in the wee hours of the morning), complaining. They had the city cut down some of our trees, because they claimed they couldn't see the stop sign they crashed into while driving drunk. (Said small trees were more than 50 feet away from said stop sign). They have hit said stop sign multiple times. You'd think they'd have realized there is always a stop sign there after the first time. After seeing this I have a hankering to buy some plastic flamingos for our front porch just to see if it annoys them. (Our porch is not anywhere close to the stop sign. So it would not in anyway impede thier view of said stop sign.)
"With Pink Flamingos in your yard, on your porch, window. And don't forget bathtub. Two per box. 34' overall height on."
Years ago this was a fund raising thing for youth organizations. The kids would put a bunch of flamingos on your yard and you would pay so much to have each one removed. It was a pretty good little money maker. I think the only issue is, what to do with all those hideous birds between fund raisers
From The Coldest Waters Of Norway - Ocean Blue
I'm always torn about ads like this. And without judging, I want to say "Poor salmons".
I know how you feel - I LOVE animals, all of them (well, maybe not hippos, they want us dead) but I also love meat (and fish.) We raise some animals to be eaten and over time we've changed them so much that they are no longer capable of living "wild" - so their only real purpose is to become meat for humans eventually (simplification, but you get what I mean.) We humans are omnivores, and I'm not AGAINST eating meat/fish, but I absolutely want it to be raised and/or slaughtered/harvested humanely.
Load More Replies...Good that Henrik is hypothermic? Or something else?
Load More Replies...3D Billboard For An Post. Dublin, Ireland (2023)
Speak for yourself, I know many who still do (including myself)
Load More Replies...Lupin On Netflix (Or A Fake Jewelry Campaign)
Lupin is a tv series about a high-end thief. These posters are of stolen jewellery. Edit: typo
Load More Replies...Each one is also in the style of a famous luxury jewelry/watch brand. Top left-Rolex, bottom left-Tiffany and Co. Bottom right-Coach. Top right-? Maybe Chanel?
What, the flower lupin? Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore, riding through the sward...
Sony (1990)
I have to laugh when I'm rewatching various Star Trek shows as to how out of date some of the "futuristic" technology looks. Still love the shows, though.
Load More Replies...I remember my uncle telling me there's no way we would ever be able to copy CD's in our homes because The technology exists but it's just too expensive
I loved Sony products right up until they started messing about with copy protection. Things like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal really put me off them.
Rebel Sport - We're Up For It
Mcdonalds Heatwave Ad (UK)
Are You kidding me? I live in Sweden and they often have problems with that here!!!
Load More Replies...McD's used to have the best shakes. Now it doesn't matter what flavor you order, it tastes like vanilla.
British Airways
If the person next to you on the plane is that pale they might be a geisha, a vampire or dead. /J
Upvote also. Mostly because of your cute comment. Spider leg side of sleep😄
Load More Replies...No, it's not racist. As you say, they make up is dated, or more correctly speaking, it's historic. It is still strongly associated with the far east in the western world and make up like this may still be worn at cultural festivities. Just because something is stereotypical, doesn't mean it's false or racist.
Load More Replies...Vintage Bob's Big Boy Menu & Advertising
A burger and milkshake for under a dollar….oh if only I could time travel!
Bob sold BB in 1967. That meal cost $0.75, or 54% of hourly minimum wage ($1.40). CPI inflation puts that meal at $6.99 in 2024, or 96% of minimum wage ($7.25). The same meal is $9.29 at McD's now. The price has increased 12.4x versus min wage increasing only 5.2x. I can't image the 1967 meal was.made more cheaply or efficiently than the 2024 meal, sounds like corporate profit-growth to me. https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=0.75&year1=196706&year2=202402
Load More Replies...I grew up with these; the sign was iconic- and recognized a half mile away- people liked them. Later most locations became "Frisch's Big Boy- little changed on the signs beyond the names.
Oh, come on, what's offensive about that comment? It's just someone writing some info.
Load More Replies...Yum! I paid a bit more, but their food was so good! And their milkshake machine was always working!
In sixth grade my friend and I put on red lipstick and kissed the statue's butt cheeks on the white part of the checkers
I remember when McDonalds advertised "feed your family of 4 for under $5". Yes, I am old.
Panasonic (1990)
There were just a couple of things worse than a shaky video. One was having to listen to the guy making the video chit-chat through the entire thing. The other was when he left it one and his hand was down and he was strolling down a hall or a sidewalk. We got to see so much carpet and listen to the guy and his dumb jokes to other dumb guys and their dumb jokes. I was so glad when we could edit them!
He looks maybe 6 or 8 years old (kids were smaller back then), so he might be in his 30s now.
Load More Replies...Smirnoff (1990)
Maybe with a favourite elf of two?!?! Are they drinking elves now?!? Runs and hides
The background of the bottle is pretty amazing. I don't know if it's just me, but I see some cats, a couple people, a lion and, I think, a dog. Some kind of instrument or drinking implement...is it just me?
Crown Royal (1990)
The one where I got a boat instead of a bottle of booze? Boat please
Really hurts when you're one pouch away from finishing your all-Crown-Royal-pouch pants
Icee (1976)
Was "cool" a wide spread slang word around 1976? (Not a rhethorical question, I really don't know)
Load More Replies...Oooh! We used to get these at Kmart. Mom would be there to pay on our school clothes on lay-away and these were a rare treat! It was tough deciding between cherry or Coca-Cola! Man. I want one now.
Duck Head (1990)
My brother wore duckhead khakis for his hospital job interview! I think.
I thought this said head pants as 1 thing, like pants for your head, and I was so confused for a second
You wouldn’t think guys would want to wear pants whose brand is very close to d**k head.
Sony (1987)
That Sony DASH Digital reel to reel system was amazing when it worked but a real nightmare when it wanted to get wise with you!
Only of recording and mixing is done on analogue equipment. If all is digital and then pressed on vinyl, you loose the point of it, not any better than CD.
Load More Replies...That Genesis CD is actually the first CD I ever owned. Bought it when I bought my big a$$ component system.
Technics (1987)
This may be what future historians point to when they're talking about the downfall of Western Civilization.
Load More Replies...When this came out, wireless remotes - especially thin ones like shown in the ad - were still kind of a new thing. Just like TVs, they existed long before they became common The remote on our 80s VCR was tethered. You could operate from the sofa but only because it had about a 15 foot cord.
I remember ours with a cord. We thought it was magic, imagine our shock when we got a wireless one!
Load More Replies...My first receiver was a Technics. I took out a bank loan to get it in 1978. I was a stereo freak.
Trains - Now On Uber
Trains, now on über? I hope not. Making transportation more complicated than it needs to be, for profit.
I think they are presenting the train as being the equivalent of a large number of cars (Uber). Hence the XXXXXXXXXXL (as in size). The letter X also stands here for "times," as in multiplication. Clever, but a big fail if nobody gets it.
Not far away, just a bit north of the station i think.
Load More Replies...Did anyone else hear the goofy old country song double XL while looking at this?
Pontiac (1999)
For any Europeans, this car was sold in Europe as the Vauxhall/Opel Omega.
I loved my Grand Am - had 196k on it when it finally died .. my hubby refused to put a $25 coil in it -- kept saying 'it's time honey, let it go'
My first car was a 99 Pontiac Grand Am back in 2000. But I don't remember that ad.
Koss Stereophones (1974)
$40 in 1974 is equal to about $250 today. All things tech are so much cheaper now than they were in the 1970s and 80s.
Load More Replies...It looks like the Grateful Dead to me. I see Jerry and Bill Kreutzman, maybe Phil Lesh? Is that Donna with the flute? Just a guess, they probably were the most live recorded band of their time.
Load More Replies...I confess to the world that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior today and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I AM SAVED. Jesus Christ is Lord, He's God's son, He died for my sins and God rose him from the dead. He is alive! I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Amen!
Vintage Burger King Whopper Advertising Sign
I have no measures but as I remember I really had to hold Whopper with both hands 20 years ago. Now I don't need two hands, and my hands haven't got any bigger.
I read "a meat in itself" and I was just so confused. Like "yes, burgers often contain meat but...what?"
Hey kid ever heard the admonition, Never eat anything bigger than your head?
Movie Poster For "Civil War" (2024)
Saw this movie preview when I went to see dune part two. Actually looked kinda decent? Maybe?
Oh, you just know once the movie come out, every review channel on YouTube is gonna talk about how bad it is. It doesn't seem like people can like anything these days.
And the guy with the AR or SMG (lordy) would do better trolling the enemy on his cell phone. He'll get better shots in that way than he will with that gun. Maybe he intends to hurl it down onto their heads if they try to climb up and get him? Oh, nevermind - considering the statue is a hollow skin of copper, they could throw a rock up at these two and topple that arm right over. Sigh. Ah well, I love this writer's other stuff, so I'm definitely giving it the benefit of the doubt. I'm hoping someone else picked the poster goofiness.
You've forgotten that the skin is attached to a framework built by Gustave Eiffel, and that for many years people were allowed up to the torch, and that it was restored and reinforced in the 1980s, I guess
Load More Replies...I am thinking the same. I find this stuff interesting but can't take seeing people killed even though that is the reality of wars.
Load More Replies...Just read the premise for this and...I'm so looking forward to the future
Philips Television (1951) By Cassandre
You keep getting downvoted for pretty mild comments. Did you p**s in someone's cheerios? LOL But yes to both. I saw a lot of 50s graphics in the 60s and this was fairly good compared to a lot of what was out there. And yes, 1951 was still in the early days of home television in terms of it becoming common. It technically came out in the 20s but flying cars were invented years ago and I still don't have one. From the internet - "Approximately 8,000 U.S. households had television sets in 1946; 45.7 million had them by 1960." Presumably in1951 the number of home sets would still be in the somewhat low thousands.
Load More Replies...Check Out This Old Shell Advert!
So now actual names are censored 🙄. Bored Panda, please revert your story model to how it was 10 years ago . The site has become intolerable.
I'm surprised that "Johnson" is "up" to BP standards.
Load More Replies...Bored Panda. D**k is an actual name. It's someone's name. Stop with the insane censoring. Stop being so bloody wet, pandering to snowflakes, and grow the f**k up.
Maybe someone named Richard could claim that he's offended, then it would be wrong not to use his nickname.
Load More Replies...Because dïck, like Jöhnson, can be six inches long. "The list is long but distinguished. - Yeah, so is my johnson" - Top Gun
Load More Replies...For those who don't know who he is, D**k Johnson a legendary Aussie car racing driver who retired in 1999.
Sherlock Holmes Ad In TV Guide (1967)
Pink Panther earworm for the rest of the day now \▁((.′◔_′◔.))▁/
Load More Replies...Is it just me, that's really late on a Sunday to sit down and watch 2 back to back episodes of anything?
Basil Rathbone my be the definitive movie Sherlock Holmes to some, but he was hardly the original. Predecessors include John Barrymore, Ellie Norwood, Raymond Massey, Clive Brook, Arthur Wortner (whom Conan Doyle highly approved of), and many others.
Rathbone was just ok but Bruce totally ruined Watson. The poor doctor is still dealing with that mess of a portrayal. Don't get me wrong I enjoy these old movies and even the radio broadcasts but... Yeah
Load More Replies...Hostess (1976)
The guy on the your left is running for Governor of California.
Load More Replies...Where baseball cards originally drawing of players and not photographs? Honestly asking
Way back in the history they were both drawn (but) mostly photographed. But the actual trading cards have been photographs. This ad is showing a cartoon image.
Load More Replies...Uber - Origami Cars
Yeah, so book way in advance so Uber execs can afford that second yacht!
Load More Replies...I hate Uber's predatory practices. Poor drivers and customers both getting fleeced while corporate takes 50% of the fare. Ask your Uber driver how much they made for that ride next time
I read it so horribly wrong. Book - the thing you read Match - I thought of matches day rides - almost as one word. In my head: Something about matches made out of a book.. and then I read: Book match - like, match one book with another. In my head: Match a book with a day ride... And that was only the left picture. My braincells aren't working properly today. The joy of English.
I'm befuddled as to why you reposted the image , could you please explain thee joke it went right over my head I think?
Load More Replies...KFC - Sorry Utensils
A spoon would be the worst possible choice of a utensil in this situation, anyway...
Mercury Cougar (1999)
Nope, it was sold as Ford Cougar in Europe. The Probe was an earlier model.
Load More Replies...🎶crazy bout a Mercury... im gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road!🎶
Tobacco Is Whacko If You're A Teen (2002)
Not if it’s an ad that tobacco companies were required to pay for by law, as this one was. It’s pretty clear that the ad is disclaiming tobacco use for teens while slyly suggesting it’s a real adult thing to do, as was the purpose of this campaign.
Load More Replies...Is it just me or does this actually make smoking seen al lot more thrilling then it is? All the anti-d**g stuff from the 90s ever did was better inform middle class kids about what d***s were out there and make us curious to try them.😭
Read the small print. This poster was paid for by a tobacco company.
Load More Replies...Rca Victor Presents Perry Como's Holiday Special (1967)
Our armchairs weighed less than our TV. The cabinets were solid wood and the sound was very rich. You have to have a soundbar to get that kind of rich sound now.
Load More Replies...But they lasted 30+ years, and when they broke, the repair person came to your home to fix it. Yes, repair it not throw it away and buy a new one. When it was time to retire it, you put it in the rec room and the kids got their own TV. It was not often that you saw one by the curb.
Load More Replies...Salem Lights (1987)
"What are we supposed to be doing?" "I have no F..ing clue but the photographer said to make sure we look like we're having lots of fun doing it."
You've never played Piggy Back Snow Football?? I feel bad for you!
Load More Replies...Are they dragging him to the famous Salem stake, to be burnt for whatever?
Rumple Minze (1987)
Antique Cream Of Wheat Thanksgiving Ad
“Aunt Jemima folks. Je-mi-ma. No more Jemima. (Mimes eating pancake, crowd cheers) Is she real? Somebody should look into- it’s a big shame though. Beautiful syrup. Beautiful woman.”
Load More Replies...I hope people realize that these types of images are real people. Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima, Rastus and more are based on REAL People. There is legacy and history involved here and family descendants. >>> Just one example >>> https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/06/29/aunt-jemima-quaker-oats-rebrand
I don't see it. A nice chef preparing breakfast. What is wrong with that?
Load More Replies...Vintage Enriched Butter-Nut Bread Advertising Sign
I thought butternut squash bread, like there's pumpkin bread.
Load More Replies...Ad Of The Day: Visa
Not nearly as annoyed as the person in the plaid shirt.
Load More Replies...which is exactly what I said- and got downvoted for 6x -
Load More Replies...Where can one find such cargo pants? Shin level pockets with velcro, is a nice feature, hopefully they still have the usual cargo pockets on the sides, usually around thigh level. Asking for a friend.
These Rei Flyers For A New Location Opening In My Area (September 2023)
Saturn (1999)
An old girlfriend had a Saturn. Nice little car, no problems. She liked the haggle-free pricing. Not sure what they did wrong.
Saturn wasn't to blame, their parent company was: General Motors. GM stupidly decided that their brand designed specifically to compete with Japanese cars should be on the chopping block during the 2008 economic recession. And this is why GM has been under new ownership since 2009.
Load More Replies...Why did the 'third door' open on the driver's side i.e. the traffic lane side?
Myer's Rum (1990)
I mean, an alcohol ad depicting a potential fatality seems very much on point
Not just a fatality. It could potentially be murder, since it seems like someone threw the coconut down from the tree.
Load More Replies...Stoli Vodka (1990)
Wow, people really don't like you expressing your honest opinion.
Load More Replies...Chevy Trucks, 1970
Spalding (1976)
Me too, outfield glove. Much more comfortable than my standard Spalding it replaced.
Load More Replies...Jack Davis is a legend in comic books and Mad Magazine. His style is unforgettable.
Tanqueray (1987)
King Of Skate (2002)
Might be the reason it actually says “HAWK” next to it.
Load More Replies...Definitely got tony hawk and that's the only skateboarder I know
Panasonic & Poltergeist II (1987)
Early Times Kentucky Bourbon
My roommate wakes me up almost every morning between 4-6am pouring himself bourbon. Seems like way too early times.
Right Guard (1990)
Hulk Hogan painting in a Steve Irwin shirt advertising a deodorant? I don’t get it.
The text top left gives an explanation. Hogan is loved by the group that deodorant is aiming at
Load More Replies...Omg, I thought he was holding lipstick. **me studying his face to see where he put it on at**🧐
Camel Filters (1987)
Ironically, the situation shown in the ad would be a very inconvenient time to light a cigarette.
Tom Sellek, Gordon Lightfoot and Kevin Costner in Dances with Camels?
Off topic: why does it seems that all male models of this time period look like Tom Selleck?
Because he was THE male model of this time period
Load More Replies...Surgeons general warning is only for pregnant women? Didn't they know about lung cancer? Or just wasn't worthy of a warning?
I can get that smoking was cool and can still be but sport and smoking ?
Sports = active, healthy, fun = if you smoke, you are having an active, healthy, fun life. The idea, especially for Marlboro and Camel, was to smoke after an adventure, to relax. So it was well earned. So if you smoke an M or C, you obviously did something fun, healthy, active before. At least that is the intention of the creators.
Load More Replies...Escort - Radar Warning Receiver (1987)
I read the whole advert and still don't understand this product. Morse code alert system?
Pioneer (1987)
They came out way before 1987. The first color TV came out in 1954. By the 1970s they were far more common than black & white
Load More Replies...I remember when I was growing up havinblack and white tv. Maybe very early 70's getting a color tv.
Jim Beam (1990)
Nbc News Special (1967)
We often imagine the old racial prejudices as something from the ancient past, but this was from less than 60 years ago.
There was still segregation in the US in the early 60s, legally mandated racism
Load More Replies...At the time of this ad, I worked in shipping for a company who had a few salesmen who told be that blacks weren't fit to be soldiers (although they had never served with one). I don't think they ever figured out why the emergency shipments they requested were never emergencies to me.
Chaps By Ralph Lauren (1987)
I am reminded of an old cartoon of something similar, with the tag line: These trousers are made of welded steel said the stranger.
Duh! Especially when you're in the middle of nowhere 😁
Load More Replies...Message is "Cool dads doing cool stuff with their kids and they teach their sons what they need to know [ties]"
Load More Replies...Canoe By Dana (1990)
Haha, does it? I was going to try to figure out what he was signaling.
Load More Replies...Vintage Coca Cola Trademark Registered Metal Porcelain Ad Sign
iconic- excellent art in porcelain The drink isn't red; but the sign is pretty
This is exceptionally ironic because it's an ad for a pirated cheap copy.
H.i.s Jeans (1990)
Being a US Marine Corps veteran, this definitely pisses me off and I agree with the previous commenters that felt like this ad was/is disrespectful.
The photo you remember of the flag raising wasn’t the first flag, it was the second. Of the six Marines in the famous photo only three survived the war. The photo was used to inspire a sculpture that’s now at Arlington Cemetery, that sculpture is to honour all Marines since 1775. The identities of the Marines who raised the two different flags was murky to say the leas, it took over 40 years for their identities to be listed correctly. And it got used to advertise Jeans.
Boohoo. Cry me a river. So what? If it had been a picture of a murder, a massacre or from the Holocaust THEN it would have been disrespectful. A flag-raising? No.
Marlboro (1974)
I met the niece of the Marlboro man. He died a very slow and painful death.
Remember seeing a picture of him either in hospital bed or maybe at home in a hospital bed a home. Looked terrible. They used his picture for a very long time.Also thought that he said the he regretted doing the commercials and took up smoking.
Load More Replies...At least in this one a cigarette is visible and the man is in a situation where you could actually smoke if you were inclined to. Not sure if they weren't allowed to show smoking in the newer advertisements.
No, I think the government eventually banned showing smoking in ads then did away with smoking ads eventually.
Load More Replies...My father opened a mom and pop store in 1954. He had ALL of these old, metal signs and ads. He threw them out when new ones arrived. They would be worth so much money now...he also had 2 old coca cola boxes that kept the drinks coldby immersing them in water. Left out and left to rot.
Laserdisc Club (1990)
I know a few LD collectors. Those things have held up incredibly well, and quality hasn't degraded at all (as opposed to surviving tape copies of the same age). I wish they'd stuck around longer!
Load More Replies...Vintage Old Gold Cigarettes Tin Advertising Sign, 1930-1969
Givenchy (1987)
They really missed an opportunity not making it a night sky with the dog star prominent...
Vantage Cigarettes (1987)
Look at me. I’m participating in a sport but will soon be wheezing to death.
Zales (1987)
Camel Cigarettes (1990)
There's the "no publicity is bad publicity" argument, and by the late 80s there were a bunch of other factors contributing to falling cigarette sales, but I always got the idea that the whole "subliminal d**k" (Johnson or not) controversy pulled the focus of the ad off cigarettes and onto Joe Camel. If you remember the mascot more than the product, that strikes me as a net negative, but like I said, that's always been a gut feeling rather than research.
Load More Replies...Winston (1987)
Another cig ad that shows a situation when it would be mostly inconvenient to light one up...
You know these ads don't actually show someone smoking in these ridiculous situations. Because they'd look ridiculous
I mean, smoking indicates that you like to play with your health anyway, you can do some other crazy stuff as well.
Load More Replies...Picturing a life-endangering situation is quite appropriate in a cigarette commercial.
Winston Cigarettes (1990)
Why? Ya's use it to sell guns, booze, cars, bad food, nationalism and all kinds of other rubbish.
Load More Replies...Buick (1999)
'Up to' 45 cars in 45 days. So, they might give away 1 car, and decide that's enough, thanks. Or maybe no cars at all.
Which was probably done intentionally. There's just enough information to get people to visit the site or head down to their local dealership, even if just to read the rules or fine print.
Load More Replies...Vintage Crow Bar Tobacco Advertising
At least the old ads were actually trying yocsell the product and not whatever the ones from the 80s were tryingvto sell (firefighters?)
Load More Replies...Kool Milds (1990)
...... Looks more like a tampon ad... . **squeaks from downvote bomb shelter
Miller Lite (1999)
lol. Ad team had no ideas that month, so "What the hell. Sex, right?" Yep. sells anything.
Load More Replies...Type means a subclass of a larger class of individuals. So this means a “Rebecca” is like a “Karen (2024 meaning)” ?? They meant, apparently, that this Rebecca is an individual, unintentionally saying that she is a “type.” Or something …
The Music From Marlboro Country (1967)
IIRC Marlboro had a number of products they sold over time for more or less good deal prices. Part of it was some of it had the name brand on it. But another aspect is I understand it is what they really wanted was the names / contact information of smokers so they could target them. This was long before the internet.
Malibu Lights (1990)
You feel as if being on a vacation when smoking that brand.
Load More Replies...The Heroes We Deserve
Playboy (1987)
Benson & Hodges (1974)
That ad would never have made even the first cut at the advertising agency today.
Load More Replies...Weird list of Interesting and Clever ads and then just.. a load of vintage ones.
I have taught marketing; not sure this really a collection of the top stuff.
I'd love to see the top stuff. Any chance you'll create a post?
Load More Replies...I'd say there are only a few that are "boring" standard ads. Most of them have a nice mix of humour and/or originality and more than a few are quite clever. I really like the library one.
Load More Replies...Yeah; not great; a lot of them smell of desperation- they were't allowed to claim "doctors prefer" bs- the whole history of tobacco ads is fascinating- and you can see a grand crossection of- about 0.5% of it here; most not the "best". lol
Load More Replies...BP censors the name D**k, but shows print ads advertising tobacco and alcohol which have been banned a long time ago to stop encouraging smoking and drinking? Hmm 🤔
I find it very reassuring, that so many here aren't tempted by the cigarette adverts from the 80s and 90s. If you didn't grew up without them being advertised in cinema, they indeed look less appealing. I can hear many of those. Especially the Marlboro one's were impressive on the big screen with dolby surround.
Thanks so much ch Cosmikid, for adding nonsensical, stupid, and unnecessary comments to every single post.
must've taken a while for them to read though this eh?
Load More Replies...Anyone remember power is nothing without control. A famous running in high heels, for a car ad I think.
I didn't, but looked it up. Runner Carl Lewis, for Pirelli Tires. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pirelli-the-2018-annual-report-celebrates-25-years-of-power-is-nothing-without-control-300850865.html
Load More Replies...Weird list of Interesting and Clever ads and then just.. a load of vintage ones.
I have taught marketing; not sure this really a collection of the top stuff.
I'd love to see the top stuff. Any chance you'll create a post?
Load More Replies...I'd say there are only a few that are "boring" standard ads. Most of them have a nice mix of humour and/or originality and more than a few are quite clever. I really like the library one.
Load More Replies...Yeah; not great; a lot of them smell of desperation- they were't allowed to claim "doctors prefer" bs- the whole history of tobacco ads is fascinating- and you can see a grand crossection of- about 0.5% of it here; most not the "best". lol
Load More Replies...BP censors the name D**k, but shows print ads advertising tobacco and alcohol which have been banned a long time ago to stop encouraging smoking and drinking? Hmm 🤔
I find it very reassuring, that so many here aren't tempted by the cigarette adverts from the 80s and 90s. If you didn't grew up without them being advertised in cinema, they indeed look less appealing. I can hear many of those. Especially the Marlboro one's were impressive on the big screen with dolby surround.
Thanks so much ch Cosmikid, for adding nonsensical, stupid, and unnecessary comments to every single post.
must've taken a while for them to read though this eh?
Load More Replies...Anyone remember power is nothing without control. A famous running in high heels, for a car ad I think.
I didn't, but looked it up. Runner Carl Lewis, for Pirelli Tires. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pirelli-the-2018-annual-report-celebrates-25-years-of-power-is-nothing-without-control-300850865.html
Load More Replies...
