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40 Of The Most Creative Vintage Ads That Show Just How Different The World Used To Be
Getting an old magazine or newspaper is a fantastic way to start exploring the past. See how people once used their language, what was included, and excluded. Memorizing events is all fine and dandy, but these don’t actually show how people would approach everyday life. Advertisements are a great way to approach what people liked and wanted.
Through the magic of the internet, we now are able to catalog and share all sorts of ads from the past online. So prepare to look into a different time as you scroll through, be sure to upvote our favorites and comment your thoughts on these truly vintage ads below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Advertisement For Bacardi Rum Warning Against The Dangers Of Drunk Driving (1986)
#2
Man Looking For A Wife In 1865
#3
They All Got The Vaccine.. Except Dad, 1958
Often, the 50s and 60s were referred to as a sort of golden age of advertising. It’s no accident that the hit show Mad Men was set during this time period when both the science of marketing and economic booms all came together. It was the first time brands started to really think about a solid image to create and maintain and companies started to spend a lot of money working out ways to entice buyers.
This “golden age” wasn’t just a one-way street of businesses realizing that marketing had its advantages, it coincided with a lot of economic prosperity in the United States, as more and more families had money to spend on luxury items. In general, spending was no longer taboo, as it may have been during the great depression and companies found that they really did have to compete with a whole host of competitors.
#4
Honestly The Graffiti Is Better
Ryan Mercer 1 year ago
Wait, I can fix it. If it were a married woman, it would get its bottom pinched by her respectful and adoring husband of over 20 years. There, I defanged it.
#5
Ray Ban 1998 Ad
#6
When I’m 64
Once you add in all the new possibilities for where and how to display ads, you get a melting pot of creativity. Radio had been around for a while, but soon marketing teams realized that TV was a great medium to promote something. At the same time, many Americans were purchasing cars and traveling, making billboards potentially more effective. The result is that creatives, from cinematographers to musicians and artists could all be employed to make eye or ear-catching ads.
#7
Remember Digging Through The Entertainment Section Of The Newspaper To Find The Movie Listings?
kate h 1 year ago
I saw the "sneak preview" of Jaws - can you imagine?!!! For those unfamiliar, a "sneak preview" was when they released a movie at a handful of theaters with ZERO plot information or 2 minute preview ads. All you had to go on was the poster. Obviously Jaws was about a big scary shark, but nothing could have prepared 17 year old me for that movie...so great and one of my favorite memories.
#8
Best Buy, 1999
#9
Electricity Was New Once. These Signs Were Mostly In Hotel Rooms And Other Public Places
Despite the veritable buffet of possibilities, many vintage ads were quite classy and creative, perhaps a result of many of the best minds going into advertising. WV's classic “think small” ad for the beetle is a good example of modernizing a pre-war car with an eye-catching, minimalist poster. It was also a clever way to stand out by not being more loud, flashy, or bombastic than many of its competitors.
#10
Remember When Brach’s Pick A Mix Was The Best Thing About Going To The Grocery Store? (1970s)
#11
Jester Wools (1947, UK)
David H 1 year ago
btw back then the word meant happy, not homosexual. And yes the rainbow and bright colors were associated with that. Later when the gay rights movement took the term gay for themselves to counter the slur terms, they also adopted the bright colors and rainbow associated with the word as well
#12
1978 Star Wars Vaccination Ad
Curious readers can find a number of clever tricks used in the “think small” ad, including the way the car is angled to direct the reader toward the text. This text actually ends with a period, which was quite uncommon for the time, while the entire poster was black and white. This actually helped it stand out, as by 1959 most visual display ads would be in color.
#13
Garfield Telephone By Tyco (1978)
#14
Esprit (1980's)
#15
With A Smile
Michael Largey 1 year ago
It's easy to murder people when you have no fear whatsoever of the electric chair.
Other companies started to realize that they didn’t just have to sell a product, they could sell themselves, as a brand. These days, this has reached such a position that there are consumers who will buy something not because they like the product, but because they like the brand. Apple is a prime example of this. The origins of this idea can be traced back to a couple of different examples, including the Cadbury Flake Girl.
#16
In 1962, Bette Davis Placed This Ad In Variety
Michael Largey 1 year ago
Five weeks after this ad, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" premiered, getting her another Oscar nomination.
#17
Cottonelle Colored Toilet Paper (1982)
#18
"Someday Roads Will Tell Cars Where To Go" Gm (1969)
This would allow a large corporation to suddenly morph into a more personified character that people might relate to and even like. Other companies would try to associate their brand with enduring, desirable qualities, like reliability and innovation. This also freed up advertisers to expand on what they could show and talk about, as the topic no longer had to just be a product or service.
#19
Daihatsu Hijet Ad From 1996
#20
"Is Your Kid Living In A Dream World?" Ad Placed In Ebony Magazine Encouraging Minorities To Pursue Stem Careers. General Electric, 1979
Billy Harrelson 1 year ago
Maybe they need an ad like this again, across all platforms. Not just minority girls either, but all girls. Encourage them that they don't have to dream of being an influencer or Instagram model. Be a scientist that discovers the next big breakthrough. Go to Mars. Go into cyber security. Anything that doesn't involve how many likes you get online.
#21
1988 Penn Tennis Ball Ad Promoting The French Open
These days, companies can and do actively advertise to children. In the past, it made sense to target adults, as they were the ones with any real purchasing power, but marketers quickly learned that a persistent child could talk parents into quite a lot. Similarly, many young adults were already working, so they could be persuaded to spend some of their hard-earned cash on luxuries and entertainment.
#22
Pan American Airlines (1956)
#23
One Oregon Newspaper Clip Reads: “We Appeal To Your Civil Patriotism To Co-Operate With Us In Our Effort To Stamp Out The Spanish Influenza Or “Flu” Plague In Portland By Wearing A Mask.”
#24
Sony Walkman 1980
#25
I'm Pretty Sure Everyone Had One Of These
UpQuarkDownQuark 1 year ago
Still do! It was my wife’s grandmother’s, and it’s in our kitchen now.
Jeremy Crocker 1 year ago
Mine too, right next to the sink, she practically lived in it.
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Awesome At Being Autistic 1 year ago
Oh yeah I miss those. If only my kitchen was big enough for one!
Spocks's Mom 1 year ago
I have a similar one, but it's the kind that will break fingers if you put it in the wrong spot. The pic is almost exactly like the one I have. stool-64a4...a76d79.jpg 
Sally Jenkins 1 year ago
Still have ours. Yellow, folds up and takes three men to move! That thing is heavier than it looks.
Agnes Jekyll 1 year ago
This is one of the things my parents gave away after my grandma died that broke my heart. It was always in the kitchen, next to the dishwasher, and it always conjures her up for me.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago
I have a miniature one for the dollhouse I'm building. And it's red! The bottom step even comes out.
Jeremy Crocker 1 year ago
Of course the only thing she isn't doing in the pictures is sitting in it, not when there's house work to do like hanging curtains and painting frescoes on the ceiling! .
RachAgainstTheMachine 1 year ago
I moved into a new house recently, and my older landlady still has one! I used it just the other day in the laundry room
Megan Lauhon 1 year ago
Ha! $13.95 who would have thought back then these bad boys would be selling for over $100 at antique shows.
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
COSCO = China Ocean Shipping Company (not to be confused with Costco). Somehow, we've survived generations of commie imports without destroying the country.
Strega Nonna 1 year ago
I used to sit on one in my grandmother's kitchen and watch her cook. Wonderful memories.
Charley128 1 year ago
I used to sit on one when my Father's barber friend used to come over to cut my hair. Thanks for all the haircuts Joe.
taxisteve929 1 year ago
Men built the cabinets in the kitchen, but women had to put the dishes away. They just couldn’t reach that high!
Gates Ortt 1 year ago
Bought one on Amazon last week for 25.00, but it was just one step, not 2 steps and a seat.
Barbara Skolly 1 year ago
I had one, might get another when i move soon bc my cupboards will be higher
Limey Cheesehead 1 year ago
I hadn't thought about this in years...we had a similar stool and it was always by the phone. Of course, the phone was attached the the wall with a LOOOOOOONG cord.
TheNewJenBrady 1 year ago
I have my grandma's green step stool, similar to this one that I used to reach the kitchen sink as a small child at her house💕
catastrophegirl 1 year ago
i have both a modern one and a vintage one. the vintage one is far sturdier and better constructed. the seat on the vintage one also flips up to give you an extra step without getting the vinyl seat part dirty/damaged.
Caiman 94920 1 year ago
My mom found one in Montana (where she lived) and I really wanted it but she wouldn't share. So I asked her to find me one, preferably in green and she came thru! Love it!
#26
Vintage Soda Cans Dates Unknown
#27
American Airlines, 1971
Laughing Orc 1 year ago
Looking out the window would probably convince you, I'd have thought. But that does look pretty awesome!
#28
This TV Looks Like It's Going To Kill Her!
#29
Apple Computers Late 90s
#30
1950s Ad For Methedrine Brand Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Aka Speed)
#31
Pizza Hut Oven In Sears Catalog (1977) "Put Up The 'Official' Sign And You're In Business!"
#32
Game Boy Ad 1990s
#33
Ge Widescreen 1000 - General Electric Performance Television - 1978
#34
How To Carry 20 Megabytes Of Data Around In 1985
#35
1965 Ge Ad
#36
Life Savers ~ Fancy Fruits (1965)
#37
"Past Present Future?", Western Electric, 1959
#38
Panasonic "Don't Listen To Squares" 1973
Edward Pedraza 1 year ago
I had a red one when I was a teenager. Used to listen to it in bed with the earphone and would fall asleep with it on. Wish I still had it.
#39
Ad From A Finnish Teen/Music Magazine Suosikki 1983
![Dr. Nut Was An Almond Flavored Beverage – In New Orleans We Call Them “Cold Drinks,” But Never “Soda” Or “Pop” – With An Aroma Similar To Amaretto. [1930]](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/64996360412f5_tt824w2p4vsa1-png__700.jpg "Dr. Nut Was An Almond Flavored Beverage – In New Orleans We Call Them “Cold Drinks,” But Never “Soda” Or “Pop” – With An Aroma Similar To Amaretto. [1930]")
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What do you think ?
Julian Slate 1 year ago (edited)
Just popping in to point out that, factually speaking, anyone can indeed contract COVID. Please, don't fall for that pseudoscientific antivaxx nonsense. Oh, and the mRNA did curb polio quite a bit. Science suggests vaccines do work.
James Doe 1 year ago
I agree with your intention. You should however be careful about spreading misinformation yourself. The polio vaccine has "nothing" to do with mRNA. In fact the covid vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine. (*of course the immune response triggered in the end and the effect of training the immune system are very similar. So far vaccines contained inactivated viruses or proteins to react to. The mRNA vaccines trick the body to produce such proteins itself)
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Billy Harrelson 1 year ago
The COVID shot did what it was supposed to do and that's mute the severity of infection. Vaccines are not like pesticides, they do not kill the virus, only help your body respond better to it.
Load More Replies... Julian Slate 1 year ago (edited)
Just popping in to point out that, factually speaking, anyone can indeed contract COVID. Please, don't fall for that pseudoscientific antivaxx nonsense. Oh, and the mRNA did curb polio quite a bit. Science suggests vaccines do work.
James Doe 1 year ago
I agree with your intention. You should however be careful about spreading misinformation yourself. The polio vaccine has "nothing" to do with mRNA. In fact the covid vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine. (*of course the immune response triggered in the end and the effect of training the immune system are very similar. So far vaccines contained inactivated viruses or proteins to react to. The mRNA vaccines trick the body to produce such proteins itself)
Load More Replies... Billy Harrelson 1 year ago
The COVID shot did what it was supposed to do and that's mute the severity of infection. Vaccines are not like pesticides, they do not kill the virus, only help your body respond better to it.
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