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75 Wild Products Advertised In Old Magazines That We Couldn’t Imagine Buying Today
People tend to be nostalgic for things of the past. We remember stuff like Game Boys, New Coke, and video store rentals with a certain fondness, even if they weren’t that good. But the 20th century really was a different time, as people thought that smoking was good for your health, drinking while pregnant wasn’t all that bad, and telephones used to look like something Etsy witches now use to summon the devil.
Bored Panda found the wildest and most interesting ads from the past century that enthusiasts have shared on r/VintageAds and presents them to you here. You almost wouldn’t believe the stuff people would buy and sell back in the day: from seemingly useless knick-knacks from Sears to slightly, er… racist soap.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Whiplash!! Liberate Your Eyes šļø šļø With Alice's Own Unisex Mascara 1973
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#2
Star-Kist Tuna (1970) With "Charlie The Tuna" Transistor Radio
#3
The Virginia Slim Tool Kit. Because You Got More To Fix Than Your Face. 1974
#4
Del Monte (Then Under California Packing Corporation / Calpak) Launched A Short-Lived Line Of Soft Drinks In The Mid-1960s (Around Fall 1964ā1965)
Elladine DesIsles 1 week ago
There's nothing else quite like the meeting of Art Nouveau revival and 60s psychedelic.
#5
Back Cover Of Mad Magazine #96 (July 1965)
Janissary35680 1 week ago
Mad's satirical ads were the best. Their parody of Contadina Tomato Paste's "Who puts eight great tomatoes in that little bitty can?" showing an exasperated chef with a mallet and can and splattered with what looks like blood is pure genius. Reddit link follows. Click on the forward button for the actual ad.
#6
Paper Mate Ops'n Pops Are Here. 1968šļøšļø
#7
Five Ways To Improve Nature'sš„ Most Perfect Food. The Five Quicks. 1967
#8
1966ā¦so Much To Do By Telephone!
#9
Star Trek Sneak Preview (1966)
#10
A 1910 Baker Electrics Advert
#11
Pop Art Pillows From Kleenex 1967
#12
Sears Gifts And Novelties (1932)
Lyone Fein 1 week ago
Sears used to carry just about everything. I always loved browsing through the encyclopedic annual Sears catalog.
#13
Kentucky Fried Chicken - September 1978 - Sarasota, FL
#14
1933 Advertisement In Delineator Magazine (Page 97) For Ironized Yeast
#15
Frozen Haute Cuisine From 1968: Swanson International Dinners
monsieur mabel 1 week ago
.......we ate these when we had a babysitter......fun times !!.......
#16
Radioshack Ad 1983
Michael Largey 1 week ago
And the conversations usually started with "And what the hell is that thing?!?"
#17
Ricardo Montalban And The 1984 Chrysler Fifth Avenue - An Island Of Luxury
#18
1/2 The Calories Of Regular Margarine. Diet Imperials Taste Never Goes To Your Waist. 1967š§
#19
Coca-Cola Was Marketed As A Medicinal Tonic And Refreshing Remedy That Relieved Fatigue And Exhaustion
#20
The 70's Were A Different Time
Janissary35680 1 week ago
One ad agency exec told me that within the agency they jokingly referred to this kind of ad as a "CYA (Cover Your Aāsās) Ad"--the idea being that the client knows what they're selling is harmful and to defend themselves against potential class-action suits years down the line, they can point to these ads and say "But we were warning users way back then, Your Honor."
#21
Dolly Madison Zingers 1970
#22
[1939] Canada Dry - āItās Gingervating!ā
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 week ago
As a ginger, I must drink ginger ale t9 maintain my gingerness. š
#23
Sealtest Ice Cream (1962)
Lyone Fein 1 week ago
OMG. Yes, in the 1970s + ice cream half gallons came in rectangular cardboard containers. Bricks.
#24
1970s Vodka Ad
#25
You Can't Fake It. š»āāļø Icee 1967
#27
A 1912 Nabisco Advert
#29
Texaco 1931ā½
Richard Graham 1 week ago
"You can trust your car to...the man who wears the star...the BIG..BRIGHT..TEXACO..STAR". Song is now running through my head.
#30
Ice Cream For Breakfast. Cream Of Wheat (1956)
#31
Butterš§bangles & šæbeads Land O' Lakes 1970
#32
Oster Massage Instrument (And Her Dress!) [1952]
#33
Cowan's Active Service Chocolate (1917)
#34
Philips Advertisements Featuring James Bond
#35
A 1902 Nestle's Food Advert
#36
A 1911 Cooper's Underwear Advert
#37
Guide - Matic Automatic Headlight Control 1962
Richard Graham 1 week ago
I had one of these in my 1964 Imperial. It barely worked. By the time it automatically turned down the high-beams the oncoming car had flashed its high-beams at you two or three times.
#38
De Soto [1937]
#39
Barbie Cereal Ad 1989
#40
A 1906 Victor Talking Machine Co. Advert
#41
Van Camp's Pork And Beans [1949]
#42
Vans. October 1994. āWe Have Shoes For Moods You Havenāt Even Felt Yet.ā
driedgrapes 1 week ago
I wore these in the 90s, apparently at the height of their popularity. I never see them anymore.
#44
[1962] Judy Garland In Gay Purr-Ee - āFriskies Cat Food Labels Are Free Movie Tickets!ā
#45
Sesame Street Snacks 2001
#46
Payday 1999
#48
No Car "Out Comforts" The New Kind Of Ford. And The New Inner Ford Is Why! 1957
#49
Print Ad For The 1968 Chevrolet El Camino Ss 396 From 1967
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 week ago
My friend's creepy father had one of those - a red one. Every time I see one I get the chills.
#50
Underwood Deviled Ham (1916)
#51
Are You Having Dreams Where You're Being Violated By Your Furnace? [1940]
#52
A Sandwich Is A Sandwich, But A Manwich Is A Meal! 1983
#53
Kelly Tires 1950 Dependable Over Fifty Years
#54
A 1926 Orange Crush Advert
#55
New First Time In This Country! A Fabulous American Cake- Make It Yourself In Just 4 Minutes. 1955 š
#57
McDonald's Country Style Mcchicken 1989
Kelly Scott 1 week ago
Actually, I think this ad was from 2020, given how fast and how high McDonalds has raised their prices.
#58
Allstate Scooters By Sears 1960s šµ
Richard Graham 1 week ago
Sears, in the early 1950s, sold an automobile under the name "Allstate". It was a re-badged Henry J (a compact made by Kaiser-Frazer. The company's President was Henry J. Kaiser. Get it?)
#60
Historic Election Campaign Buttons At Standard Oil Stations - October 1972
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 week ago (edited)
Oh my! I remember my favourite political chant from 1972: "Don't change Dāiācākās in the middle of a sācārāeāw - vote for Nixon 72." For those of you who don't know, Richard (i.e., "Dāiācāk") Nixon was a very naughty boy - ironically, in retrospect, probably much better than the current White House resident.
#61
Highway Building, 1979
Geoffrey Scott 1 week ago
Imagine, if you will, a proposal like this nowadays. Ike couldn't have even gotten it past the committee stage. We (US) no longer do big things, Gordie Howe bridge case in point. How embarrassing, not even going halfsies on this project!
#62
Improve Your Pickups! Thrush šthe Performing Parts.1979
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 week ago
Tell me this wasn't just a straight out s****l advertisement.
#63
Taylor's Number 13 Insect Spray. Now A Double Action Killer!! Tested Trusted Ddt 1952 š¦š·ļøššŖ°šŖ³
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 week ago
If my husband came roaring into the bedroom and sprayed me with a dose of DDT, we would be having a serious talk later.
#65
We Found The Guy Responsible For The Vega Aluminum Engine
Forrest Hobbs 1 week ago
Ah. Not the aluminium as such, but the misapplication of the aluminium: 'The biggest gamble, however, was eliminating conventional cast-iron cylinder liners. Engineers believed they had developed an innovative aluminum alloy that would allow piston rings to run directly against the cylinder walls. real-world conditions exposed flaws that laboratory testing had not fully revealed. The Vega engine quickly became infamous for excessive oil consumption, cylinder wear, overheating, and catastrophic engine failures.' link follows.
#66
An 1886 Pears' Soap Advert
#67
Mr. Fatu's Tribute To Elvis At The Red Carpet Inn In Sarasota, FL - September 1978
#68
Kraft Cheese [1947]
Janissary35680 1 week ago
If anyone's wondering why Kraft American is "back" in 1947, it's because during World War II, Kraft shifted its focus from regular consumer cheese production to supply preserved butter spreads, canned cheese, and butter for WW2 US military combat requirements like "K" Rations.
#69
Samsung Mp3 Phone 2000
#70
Bug Too! You Can't Keep A Good Bug Down. [1996]
#72
1-900-200-Sega: Hey There. Are You Tired Of This? Call Now [1996]
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Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 week ago
I loved this trip down Memory Lane for many of these products. Those of you who are younger will be thrilled in 40 to 50 years when you see today's ads and you will then understand the nostalgia.
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 1 week ago
I loved this trip down Memory Lane for many of these products. Those of you who are younger will be thrilled in 40 to 50 years when you see today's ads and you will then understand the nostalgia.
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