10 Outrageous Vintage Ad Campaigns That Would End Companies Today
Reverting back to the 40s, 50s, 60s, and even 70s and 80s advertisements were much different then they are today. These vintage ad campaigns will blow your mind, but with good reason. Check them out!
1. The Dimple Maker
This 1936 device was made to create dimples on people without them. After the surge of popularity of Shirley Temple films, her signature dimples became a highly wanted physical feature on any woman in the United States. Much like Kylie Jenner’s unmistakable pout, everyone in the States at the time wanted the young, fun, and cute look that was often associated with facial dimples. Besides creating dimples the ad said that the device also reduced the appearance of double chins, wrinkles and aided circulation. However, the American Medical Association said that this device did not create any dimples but could, after prolonged use develop cancer in its users!
2. “Is it Always Illegal to Kill a Woman?”
Um yes? The 40’s were a different time for ads. Vintage ad campaigns such as this are one of the many examples of the type of sexist ads that ran rampant during the time period. This is advertising the Pitney Bowes Postage Meter. In the mini story included within the ad, the red headed woman, a stenographer, hesitates in using the new device. Eventually the woman gets the hang of the machine and decorates the machine in a pink bow, which for some reason offends the man greatly. He gets angry as she mention that the machine is very useful because it lets her to hear all of the office gossip. Then the man wonders, “Is it Always Illegal to Kill A Woman?” This would be immediately canceled if produced today and with good reason!
3. The Game is Broomsticks
Where to start with this one. Besides the obvious creepy, sexual assault tones that run rampant. What is this ad even about you ask? Apparently it’s advertising slacks. The text within the ad says “ Ring around Rosie. Or Carol. Or Eleanor, etc.” Which again, what does that even have to do with slacks? The ad is just plain sleazy as a woman in her underwear has her face covered as a group of fully clothed men surround her. Like #yikes.
4. General Electric Sink
This ad is both racist and sexist. This 1949 ad is trying to sell the General Electric Sink which included a sink connected to a dishwasher and garbage disposal. This ad features racial stereotypes surrounding a black woman and the slang magnifies this to a disgusting degree.
5. Love’s Baby Soft
This 1975 ad is just plain bizarre and creepy. It features a young girl on the cover and sexualizes her in an extremely uncomfortable way. The logline reads. “ Because innocence is sexier than you think.” Hard pass, Baby Soft, this ad would destroy a company and anyone involved with the ad almost immediately if it happened today. Just.. ew.
6. Charles Antell Formula 9 and Shampoo
Because shampoo and suicide obviously have some type of correlation? This ad’s small text says, “ If my hair looks such a mess one more night, I’ll kill myself!” This ad suggests that with the help of some shampoo and nice hair, all your thoughts of depression will just fade away! In reality it is very insensitive and if shown today would drop some jaws. The young woman in the picture is happily smiling with a noose, a gun, and some poison in her hand, which just makes the whole thing feel completely wrong.
7. Chase and Sanborn Coffee
This ad views domestic abuse as a silly thing that is normal for husbands to do. How about no. This ad’s story is that the woman buys cheap coffee. The appeal to the woman seeing this ad in real life is to avoid your man beating you, all you have to do is buy more expensive and quality coffee.
8. Sugar Ad
This ad says, why eat when you can be skinny and stylish with eating just sugar? Nevermind diabetes, and overall health problems that could arise from consuming just sugar, right?
9. Tipalet
This ad makes it seem like it’s every woman’s dream to get second-hand smoke and develop lung cancer. Granted smoking was more common and less researched back in the day, but still? Really? Vintage ad campaigns such as this were not in good taste.
10. Cola Ad
This Coca-Cola ad says that babies should be drinking soda. Babies. According to the text, “laboratory tests” show that there isn’t a fast enough time to give your kids some of this carbonated drink.
