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Vintage ads are a fascinating glimpse into the past. They show us what people were buying and how they were living. Old commercials for food and beverages reflect products that could’ve been found in household pantries at the time. Ads featuring home appliances or entertainment technologies revealed advancements and innovations, while the promotion of clothes, hairstyles, and accessories offered a look into fashion trends.
A Facebook page called “Old Ads, Vintage Advertising, Slogans” allows us to take a peek at popular products and services of the past. Buckle up, as we’re bringing you back to the time when commercials weren’t skillfully crafted videos but merely paper posters with bold headlines and bright illustrations.
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Anna Stephenson 2 years ago
What could possibly go wrong with combining, water, electricity and gas together!?
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The history of advertising could be traced back to the first American newspaper ad in 1704, featured in the Boston News Letter. Until the 1800s, print promotions were limited only to text. Thereafter, the production of newspapers rapidly increased and became affordable and accessible to the working class. To keep people engaged, advertisers started to get innovative by adding visuals to their ads.
News LetterWith printing advancements and new technologies, the 20th century brought forward visually crowded ads that included pages detailed with elaborate information. From newspapers and magazines to billboards and transport machines, the 1900s started a whole movement of advertising.
Successful ads from the 20th century had to stand out from the others and possess a unique look in order to sell a product or service. To achieve this, it was common to include bright and striking colors with dramatic illustrations or comic book-style drawings.
Printed commercials also portrayed idealized scenes of people and families and incorporated relatable middle-class references. Cheesy taglines and slogans were also a very important part of advertisements, which made them powerful and long -lasting. Various eye-catching fonts were also a great way to make the promotional poster stand out. From brush strokes to the narration of tales, these ads were creative and ever so captivating.
At the time, there were few regulations for advertising, so promoters relied on their own judgments. That’s why some of these commodities that were advertised and considered normal back then would now raise eyebrows or even receive hardcore disapproval. Commercials that preceded the civil rights movement employed sexism and racism and were known to spread ill-advised information.
Let’s take an old 7Up slogan, "Why we have the youngest customers in the business..." that recommends mixing this product with baby's milk. A lot of people believed that soda had medicinal properties, so this brand started advertising their own product as essential to a baby's health.
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Michael Braisher 2 years ago
This doesn't hilariously fail the test of time. It's just OF its time.
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Michael Braisher 2 years ago
A revelation when portable televisions were affordable and decent. For ladies like this, technology had already arrived.
When health concerns about cigarettes began in the 1930s, tobacco companies turned to doctors in order to diminish the worries about smoking. Thus, cigarette advertisements with physicians were born to add credibility. They typically featured statements like “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette” or “Doctors recommend Camels to their patients.”
Besides causing health concerns, vintage ads like “The Harder A Wife Works, The Cuter She Looks” and the inclusion of racial stereotypes and discrimination deeply promoted problematic social issues that wouldn’t fly in advertising today. Many similar commercials are banned in today’s world, and rightfully so.
Even though modern advertisements have come a long way, some old elements still work today, like having a spokesperson who is linked to the brand and attracts more customers.
Specifically, Ronald McDonald, Red and Yellow M&M's, and even Pillsbury Doughboy who become synonymous with their brands, proving this marketing tactic successful. Nowadays, influencers are the ones who promote businesses, and consumers love to hear what they have to say. Almost 50% of them search for videos before buying a product, and if a popular influencer is talking about it, this can increase profits.
Large and catchy slogans or headlines remain a great way to immediately draw people's attention. In 2009, boot company Timberland brought this back with the powerful headline “Walk the Talk”. The campaign demanded world leaders start putting their words into action to help stop climate change.
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Wingsofwrath 2 years ago
It's weird how much time it takes to understand they're actually advertising the Dodge truck and not Pepsi...
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Tabitha 2 years ago (edited)
This looks like an ad from the 1920s, when a boyish flat bustline was in style. If you look at the fashions for women during that time, you’ll see that they’re designed for slim hips and no bust, a very boyish figure. An hourglass shape totally ruins the line and makes you look a lot bigger than you actually are, and often you will look pregnant, because the cloth will hang from the outermost point. Though I know it was backlash to millennia of restrictive clothing, especially corsets and several pounds of petticoats and wool, the pendulum quite unfairly swung past the normal figure and instead went to the extreme that the vast majority of women are simply unable to achieve without developing an eating disorder. They say the road to ruin is always paved with good intentions. That’s because the good intentions are never completely well thought out.
Interestingly, vintage magazine ad campaigns were meant to run only once, making them exceedingly rare and appealing to collectors. They now have rich historical and nostalgic value and have become tangible pieces of the past.
Today, vintage magazine ads are considered to be from before the 1800s to the 2010s, since that makes them over 20 years old. So, if you’re interested in starting, there’s still a great possibility that you’ll find something in such a wide time frame of newspaper and magazine production.
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David Paterson 2 years ago
Ovaltine. Yep, I remember ads like this. When it was just poor quality chocolate.
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Tabitha 2 years ago
Wow, talk about failing the test of time! How disrespectful and downright insulting can you get? If I’m not mistaken, that’s a war bonnet. They’re supposed to be used for specific sacred purposes only. They’re not for show, they’re not to be collected, and they’re definitely not to be used as costumes. (I welcome any Native Americans reading this to correct me if I’m wrong, and please tell me where I have erred. I want to get it right, because I definitely do not want to be disrespectful.)
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Trisec Tebeakesse 2 years ago
hamburger relish seems to have disappeared. Haven't seen it in years.
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Tucker Cahooter 2 years ago
Nowadays instead of shrinking the price they shrink the product instead
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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
Fun fact, High Life and MGD are the exact same recipe, EXCEPT, High Life is pasteurized.
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A B C the Third 2 years ago (edited)
Ingredients · 1 teaspoon sugar · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 teaspoon water · 2 ounces bourbon (or rye whiskey, if preferred) · Garnish: orange twist · Still one of THE classic cocktails. How did this "fail the test of time"?
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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
It's like something from an alternate universe where vegan vampires are a real thing and they need to drink blood substitute.
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Michael Braisher 2 years ago
Finally, a true ad failing the taste of time. Test of taste, too.
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Ent Hugger 2 years ago
i admit i enjoy lots of questionable foods lol... but canned "spaghetti" will never be one of them!
#65
Nerenahd Dhaneren 2 years ago
Looks like they used a 17y Donalt Trump picture dressed as a toddler.
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Michael Braisher 2 years ago (edited)
No idea what Pep and Krumbles are but the Kellogg's Variety packs still exist.
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Sandy D 2 years ago
The funniest part of this is the budweiser (the American one anyway) is revolting "beer" that is yellow water with a nasty "off" taste (i coughing go into detail but i think is clear enough). To non Americans, don't consider this horse-urine to be American beer. We make good beer, Judi that this is not one is the good ones, lol
#82
S. E. in Indiana 2 years ago
Mahogany or Oak and only $6.95. WOW! Would love to have one these now.
#84
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
Mechanical Television. John Loghi Baird made it work. Farnsworth's all electronic machine just worked better though. Mechanical TV does have a niche place for hobbyists though.
#86
Jacky Newman 2 years ago
"bitte zu probiren" is a weird translation. In english it means "please try".
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Tabitha 2 years ago
I believe this is the ad campaign on Mad Men where Freddy Rumsen discovered Peggy’s knack for writing copy with her “basket of kisses” description of the waste paper basket full of tissues from the lipstick blotting when all the secretaries except Peggy, who just sat and watched, tried it out. Freddy moved her from secretary to copywriter, and started her career.
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David 2 years ago
Okay that's weird. I actually own a tool box very similar to the one she has her foot on. Mine is brown and a bit more rectangle / less square but the drawers look the same and the front panel. On mine, the front panel pulls out and flips down to latch to keep the drawers closed. This one looks like maybe the front panel removes and sits off to the side. Now I'm wondering how old that tool box is. I got it used and it is old, but might be older than I thought.
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Michael Braisher 2 years ago
True enough. 'Got any gum, chum' was what the British kids shouted at the GIs stationed in the UK during the last war.
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Sarcastic and Proud 2 years ago
Wait, this came in cherry? Where was this during my childhood?
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TotallyNOTAFox 2 years ago
But how am I suppose to get into a bottle? Doesn't seem like they want me to drink it outside of one
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Michael Braisher 2 years ago
A genuine coup against Pepsi when Coca Cola got the concession to supply the PX and front line with fizzy drink.
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Multa Nocte 2 years ago
Interesting combination of hardiness, virtue, and . . . beer? I guess the yeast for beer could also be used to make bread?
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Mat O'Dowd 2 years ago
A beautiful, BUT fake ad, based on the story "Soylent Green". It's a good one!!!
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What do you think ?
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
The ads were marvellous in the sense that they showed slices of a different set of times, but the title of the article didn't really mesh with the contents. Most of these ads didn't "fail the test of time," so it was easier to look for something "wrong" with the these ads than appreciate them or get a chuckle out of them.
VioletHunter 2 years ago
Not an idiot, just someone who needs to find a clickbaity title to keep this site running.
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Harah Suckerbee-Wankers 2 years ago
My favorites were the ones where Michael Braisher wasn't commenting with his inane and stupid sexist and racist thoughts.
Boris Long-Johnson 2 years ago
Tl;dr but if you really want a “fail of the test of time” try the labour in vain https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2939584/amp/Staffordshire-s-Labour-Vain-pub-racism-row-historic-sign.html
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Summary. Old timey adverts are (a) grainy (b) sexist (c) TLDR (d) promote stuff that's actually bad for you.
Multa Nocte 2 years ago
The ads were marvellous in the sense that they showed slices of a different set of times, but the title of the article didn't really mesh with the contents. Most of these ads didn't "fail the test of time," so it was easier to look for something "wrong" with the these ads than appreciate them or get a chuckle out of them.
VioletHunter 2 years ago
Not an idiot, just someone who needs to find a clickbaity title to keep this site running.
Load More Replies... Harah Suckerbee-Wankers 2 years ago
My favorites were the ones where Michael Braisher wasn't commenting with his inane and stupid sexist and racist thoughts.
Boris Long-Johnson 2 years ago
Tl;dr but if you really want a “fail of the test of time” try the labour in vain https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2939584/amp/Staffordshire-s-Labour-Vain-pub-racism-row-historic-sign.html
censorshipsucks 2 years ago
Summary. Old timey adverts are (a) grainy (b) sexist (c) TLDR (d) promote stuff that's actually bad for you.
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