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These 118 Vintage Ads Might Make You Feel Like You Were Still Living In A Bygone Era
Interview With Expert
Some people may call them outdated, but vintage ads have a charm you won’t find in today’s bulletins or posters. They evoke a vibe that reminds those who lived it of a much simpler time, while introducing younger folks to what things looked like decades ago.
Check out some of the examples we’ve collected from this Facebook group, an online community all about vintage advertisements. It currently has just over 403,000 members, thriving on pure nostalgia.
We’ve collected some of the best images for a blast from the past today. Be sure to upvote those that catch your eye!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Liz Rutherford 1 hour ago
My mom still has the second one in the top line, the first one in the second and the second one in the 3rd line. My mom has used the bowl for everything from chili to a puke bowl. The second one became a toy for the grandkids; you know, playing with pots and pans and any kind of plastic container. The 3rd one lost the lid a looooong time ago, but mom uses it for marinated raw meat when she grills.
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#3
Sally Moen 3 hours ago
Paint colors being advertised haven't really changed much than what is being shown here. It's all "Admire our new color for this year, look how well it shows off your living room!"
The one common theme in these retro ads is that they all came about during a time when today’s technology was far from being developed. As cultural historian Allen J. Wiener tells Bored Panda, “print media filled the idle hours of the youth.”
#4
#5
Brandi VanSteenwyk 6 hours ago
As Americans, this was a "taste of the Orient." Little did we know that no decent, upstanding Cantonese (or surrounding countries/cultures) person would eat anything of this sort. They have taste.
“The post-World War II generation of kids was the first to have disposable income, making them a plum target for advertising,” Wiener said. “Comic books were particularly popular with kids and were illustrated with hand-drawn art from cover to the final page, with advertising typically appearing on the back cover, where sellers could provide everything from BB guns to ant ranches by mail.”
Looking at these ads in 2026 is essentially peering into a window to the past. According to digital marketing professional Victoria Morais, they provide clues about social hierarchies, ideals of home life, and design trends at the time.
“Suburban kitchens were elaborate sets; color televisions starred; men were strong; and women were homebound. And like popular culture, they mask power dynamics in a message of aspiration,” she said.
One thing that may not be as noticeable in these ads is the gender-targeting. Wiener says that children's publications directed to young males featured boys engaging in activities that included the advertised product.
The same thing applied to female-centric comics like Little Lulu, which showed more ads for trinkets that appealed to young girls.
#15
Liz Rutherford 1 hour ago
I have the one at the bottom right. Found it at a flea market a few years ago. Paid $15 bucks. The wiring was updated and it still works. I use it to listen to my Cubs.
There was also racial segregation at the time, which, according to Wiener, also showed in the ads. He notes that, save for a few publications that cater to African-Americans, most of the advertisements during the time were predominantly white.
“Except for a few Black-oriented publications (Jet and Ebony come to mind), which distributors rarely sold in predominantly white neighborhoods, all of the figures in these ads were white, whether in photographs or sketch art,” Wiener pointed out.
#17
During a time when print media was king, advertisers had limited tools for disseminating information. However, these creative constraints assured that quality was on point.
“The hand-rendered lithography and succinct copywriting meant that the key visual and verbal elements of the campaign needed to be clear, compelling, coherent, and united in purpose,” Morais said. “I see each day how constraints can both clarify and magnify a story.”
#19
Stephanie Did It 33 minutes ago
I absolutely love this movie. Betty Hutton's physical strength and presence is astounding.
#21
Rose the Cook 1 hour ago
Our first TV as a child in Australia, never worked properly. It was continually out of order. I distinctly remember a repair man sitting on the floor reading "How to fix your Admiral TV."
#23
Sally Moen 3 hours ago
TIL that FTD stood for Floral Telegraph Delivery. And is see Mercury is being used as the symbol for speed
#26
Sally Moen 3 hours ago
The ice cream man would drive his little truck (converted post-office trucks were common) playing Turkey in the Straw to summon customers and most of the offerings were this company's products, so you really could get a Popsicle for about 25 cents.[1960s western US] It's a different thing nowadays, some of those frozen treats are 5 dollars.
#29
Stephanie Did It 27 minutes ago
Ahh, Avocado Green and Harvest Gold! The colors of my childhood.
#30
Sally Moen 3 hours ago
When I first saw this bottle I thought it said Pineapple Catsup, which might be something from the Philippines, like Banana Catsup
#32
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 hour ago
I have a Love-Pat compact that my grandma gave me when she had used it up, so I could play dress up. 🥰
#36
Sally Moen 3 hours ago
The reason you don't see, or very rarely see, those pull-tabs on beverage cans is that they were dangerous to wildlife. I can't remember if birds got them stuck in their throats or what. Also the edges were sharp and they could cut your feet up if you stepped on one
#38
Stephanie Did It 10 minutes ago
🎶You can trust your car to the man who wears the star, the big bright Texaco staarrr! 🎶
#43
#50
#51
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
This is where the phrase "Gag me with a spoon" originated.
#52
WindySwede 6 hours ago
"Methyprylon was withdrawn from the US market in June 1975 and the Canadian market in September 1990. Some other trade names are Noctan and Dimerin." - wiki
#72
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
I LOVED the Mister Softee ice cream man when I was little!
#76
Liz Rutherford 46 minutes ago
The only thing my paternal grandmother used was good old fashioned lard. She thought Crisco was for sissies.
#78
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
I can hear this ad in my head. I have to give it to some of the jingle writers - those things will stick with you over the years.
#80
Der Kommissar 4 hours ago
Unsafe at any speed. Chevy also made a Monza, which was a sportier version of the death trap Corvair.
#83
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 hour ago
We had one of these markers in a kitchen drawer when I was growing up. I STILL remember the smell!
#86
#89
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
In this friendly, freedom-loving land we stuck way too many fish in this tiny fish tank.
#90
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
I must admit that I was totally in love with Chef Boy-ar-dee when I was a little girl and wanted to marry him. I loved the little pizza kit he put out where you could make your own little pizzas. I LOVE you, Chef Boy-ar-dee!!!!
#93
#95
#97
#100
Deson Bowenford 6 hours ago
A Stingray. I used to have one of those beasts. Man I miss it now. Then again I miss the knees I had then too.
#102
Liz Rutherford 40 minutes ago
Is that a bird? And she going to put it in the microwave? What kind of sadist is she?
#108
Liz Rutherford 38 minutes ago (edited)
Drink Corby's while you watch Jim attempt to put that golf ball up Bob's a$$hole.
#111
Der Kommissar 4 hours ago
The men behind the counter were known as soda jerks. As a child, I always wondered why they would hire jerks.
#112
Liz Rutherford 36 minutes ago
My uncle smoked Pall Mall unfiltered. Surprisingly, he died of lung cancer.
#117
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 hour ago
Not to brag but I got 2 boxes of chocolate for Valentine's Day and one of those was a Whitman's Sampler.
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What do you think ?
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
This was fun. I am sure it was quite American-centered, but since I grew up there, it brought back some great memories. Thanks!
Multa Nocte (she/her/8647) 4 hours ago
This was fun. I am sure it was quite American-centered, but since I grew up there, it brought back some great memories. Thanks!
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