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Brands need good marketing so that customers buy their products. But good marketing back in the 1950s meant something entirely different from what it does now. Whereas now we're more sensitive to different cultures, minorities, and generally things that could offend people, it seems like marketing gurus of the past didn't bother thinking about that much.

Or was it just a different time with different values and definitions of what's inappropriate? We'll let you be the judge of that as you scroll through these vintage advertisements that Bored Panda has collected from various places online. A dash of sexism, bad medical advice, and just hilariously bad ideas are what these old-timey ads have in common.

#1

Vintage superhero poster promoting school diversity and unity against prejudice in retro advertisement

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LakotaWolf (she/her)
Community Member
Premium
18 hours ago

Superman is, after all, an illegal immigrant.

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    #2

    Black and white Planned Parenthood ad about abortion rights decision involving politicians

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    Linda Lee
    Community Member
    19 hours ago

    Ha! And look where we are today. Women are losing their rights in the US.

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    #3

    McDonald's ad celebrating African-American history with two children reading a history book

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    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 hours ago

    Tell that to the MAGAts.

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    #4

    Mattachine Society ad advocating rights for homosexuals with cartoon spotted animal

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    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 hours ago

    Cool!!!!!! VERY ahead of their time.

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    #5

    Vintage syphilis awareness poster with soldiers and warning for women

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    AnnaB
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 hours ago

    Don't google pictures of advanced syphilis.

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    #6

    Retro polio vaccine ad showing family around man in iron lung machine

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    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Anti vaccine parents should be made to pay for their children's avoidable illnesses, and if their children díe, they should pay like any múrderer.

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    #7

    Retro Christmas record ad titled Dear Santa, Have You Had The Measles

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    Moltar
    Community Member
    17 hours ago

    Cab Calloway is a legend

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    #8

    Vintage child auto strap safety harness ad for front-seat tots

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    Elladine DesIsles
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    "For 1 to 10-year-olds"???

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    #9

    Vintage ad for Panasonic Flip N Style hair dryer with woman holding device

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    16 hours ago

    "Look, we don't give a rat's @$$ if this is any use to you or not! Just buy our junk, OK?"

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    #10

    Retro woman amazed by easily opened Del Monte ketchup bottle in vintage advertisement

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    Sue Corvette
    Community Member
    17 hours ago

    Ouch!

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    #11

    Black and white soda ad encouraging early cola drinking with baby and mother

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Never to early to start if you want to be one of the cool babies. Really wild stuff if you can read the small print.

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    #12

    Vintage McDonald's Big Mac advertisement featuring sandwich image

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    Linda Lee
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.

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    #13

    Old hair rental service ad promoting affordable hairpieces

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    16 hours ago

    The date had been going *really* well before Jeff's hair was repossessed for non-payment.

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    #14

    Vintage Stayfree maxi-pads ad with woman hiking outdoors

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    Sue Corvette
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Girls today have no idea what pins and belts mean in this ad. Thank god!!!

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    #15

    Old Gillette Safety Razor ad featuring baby shaving with razor

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    16 hours ago

    Baby Face Finster got out on parole and found work, I see...

    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Add us on Google

    #16

    Vintage jeans ad showing three men wearing western-style jeans and shirts

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    T Barth
    Community Member
    Premium
    17 hours ago

    At least their pants are up around their waists and not around their knees with their aśś hanging out.

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    #17

    Palmolive vintage ad questioning men's focus on looks over cleverness

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    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    19 hours ago

    So give up caring what men think, you'll live happier.

    #18

    Retro butter ad highlighting nutrition tip for arteries and veins

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    TMTMTMTM
    Community Member
    17 hours ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    It was a joke. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/boy-eating-butter-ad/

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    #19

    Milk ad featuring a young man with a milk mustache sitting in a classroom

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    Otto Katz
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Is that Conan O'brien? Sure looks like him

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    #20

    Vintage Life Savers candy ad with fruit shapes and taps dripping candy flavors.

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Every Christmas my parents would give us a book of Life Savers. They contained 10 or 12 rolls of different flavors like cherry, butterscotch, tropical... We would trade rolls with each other to get the flavors we liked. I tried to continue the tradition with my kids but shrinkflation eventually k****d the fun of it.

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    #21

    Vintage easy-to-use washing machine ad with father and children

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    StPaul9
    Community Member
    17 hours ago

    Look, I've gone mad! All society has crumbled!

    #22

    Retro advertisement showing a wife and husband promoting Kellogg's Pep vitamins for pep

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Vitamins and the burning rage that builds within me whenever you complain how tough your job is

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    #23

    Retro advertisement for Hamlin's Wizard Oil to cure rheumatism with elderly couple

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Made from real wizards.

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    #24

    Post's Sugar Krinkles cereal box with clown holding a spoonful of sugar-coated rice

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Pennywise's first job as newly graduated interdimensional demon

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    #25

    Black and white ad for Lorillard's Climax Plug chewing tobacco

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Oh, my.

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    #26

    Vintage 7up ad featuring a baby drinking from a 7up bottle highlighting youngest customers

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    Con O Cuinn
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Flat 7up was almost considered medicine when I was a kid.

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    #27

    Old Maynard Electronics portable hard drive advertisement with man carrying device

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    8 hours ago

    "Leave the Cannoli, Take the Gun."

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    #28

    Vintage Wrangler ad with drawings of women in retro sportswear

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    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Then you read "sports-ear"? 🤔

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    #29

    80s Game Boy Game Keeper carrying case retro ad with excited boy

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    I have all of that except for the carrying case.

    #30

    Vintage Van Heusen ad showing woman serving man breakfast in bed

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    Con O Cuinn
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    What is this even advertising?

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    #31

    Christmas Hoover vacuum ad with woman and festive theme

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    Con O Cuinn
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    My da made that mistake one year...

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    #32

    Old Coca-Cola ad promoting as ideal brain tonic for headaches

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    Sue Corvette
    Community Member
    17 hours ago

    Back when coca-cola contained c*****e

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    #33

    Vintage Life Savers candy retro advertisement with apple and fruit flavors

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    AnnaB
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago (edited)

    I'd actually like to try these. Once.

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    #34

    Retro McDonald's Big Mac ad showing man eating burger with packaging on table

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    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 hours ago

    Didn't Barry Manilow write this jingle?

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    #35

    Vintage ad for NuTone intercom-radio with woman demonstrating wall-mounted device

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    #36

    Classic McDonald's salad advertisement with fresh salad and smiling women on phone.

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    JL
    Community Member
    9 hours ago

    It's tasty because it's a hoagie without the bun.

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    #37

    Classic Christmas stockings ad by Mojud featuring festive woman

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    Gingersnap In Iowa
    Community Member
    18 hours ago (edited)

    That Santa looks like a pervert.

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    #38

    Retro Schlitz beer advertisement showing a man comforting a woman in the kitchen

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    16 hours ago

    "... and THEN, for some reason, she hit me in the face with a hot cast iron frying pan!"

    #39

    Du Pont Cellophane vintage ad showing twins wrapped to prove freshness

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    But they can't talk because they have used up all their oxygen.

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    #40

    Game Boy Play It Loud series ad showing colorful Game Boys on heads

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    Toujin C'Thlu
    Community Member
    17 hours ago (edited)

    I got a Gameboy Color as a high school graduation gift, along with Pokemon Blue

    #41

    Old Pizza Hut mini pizza oven toy ad with dough, pans, and pizza sauce.

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    Sue Corvette
    Community Member
    17 hours ago

    Nothing beats pizza cooked with a light bulb

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    #42

    Retro dishwasher ad urging men to make holiday meals easier for wives

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    General Anaesthesia
    Community Member
    13 hours ago

    If you think she'd be happy with a dishwasher, just imagine what she'd do for a washing machine!

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    #43

    Vintage retro advertisement for women gaining weight with ironized yeast

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    Con O Cuinn
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Weirdly a better message than all these ozempic zombies walking around.

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    #44

    Retro air freshener disguised as a cigarette lighter inside a car dashboard at night

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    StarCrossedFriday
    Community Member
    5 minutes ago

    Why? Why would you need to disguise your air freshener? Was there some kind of massive social stigma?

    #45

    Mr. Leggs pants ad with man standing on tiger rug and slogan

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Uff da

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    #46

    Retro soft drink dispenser ad showing Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew cups.

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    #47

    The Addis Wedding Set advertisement for bride's home cleaning outfit

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    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    It's insane how much this was and is pushed in our cultures.

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    #48

    Vintage Max Factor grooming essentials ad for men at Christmas

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    #49

    Vintage retro advertisement for shiny vinyl no-wax floor by Congoleum with women kneeling.

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    B.F. Gibb
    Community Member
    32 minutes ago

    Oh, my stars

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    #50

    Pyrex cookware ad linking successful marriages to kitchen tasks

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    Premium
    18 hours ago

    I too aspire to cook while in a wedding dress.

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    #51

    Vintage Toastmaster kitchen appliances ad with tagline Better than mistletoe

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    Zatetic
    Community Member
    18 hours ago

    Hitting your head on mistletoe hanging over a door is a lot less painful