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.
We 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
#1 Whiplash!! Liberate Your Eyes 👁️ 👁️ With Alice’s Own Unisex Mascara 1973
#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 1964–1965)
#5 Back Cover Of Mad Magazine #96 (July 1965)
#6 Paper Mate Ops’n Pops Are Here. 1968🖊️🖋️
#7 Five Ways To Improve Nature’s🥛 Most Perfect Food. The Five Quicks. 1967
#8 1966…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)
#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
Never miss a story that brings joy to the world.
#16 Radioshack Ad 1983
#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. 1967🧈
#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
#21 Dolly Madison Zingers 1970
#22 [1939] Canada Dry – “It’s Gingervating!”
#23 Sealtest Ice Cream (1962)
#24 1970s Vodka Ad
#25 You Can’t Fake It. 🐻❄️ Icee 1967
#26 Kellogg’s 4th Annual Stick Up For Breakfast Contest. When A Sears Free Spirit Bike 1977
#27 A 1912 Nabisco Advert
#28 Ridgid (April 1952)
#29 Texaco 1931⛽
#30 Ice Cream For Breakfast. Cream Of Wheat (1956)
#31 Butter🧈bangles & 📿beads 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
#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. ‘We Have Shoes For Moods You Haven’t Even Felt Yet.’
#43 Vpr-5
#44 [1962] Judy Garland In Gay Purr-Ee – “Friskies Cat Food Labels Are Free Movie Tickets!”
#45 Sesame Street Snacks 2001
#46 Payday 1999
#47 Kmart Pets
#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
#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 😋
#56 A 1922 Mellin’s Food Advert
#57 McDonald’s Country Style Mcchicken 1989
#58 Allstate Scooters By Sears 1960s 🛵
#59 Hostess Twinkies 2004
#60 Historic Election Campaign Buttons At Standard Oil Stations – October 1972
#61 Highway Building, 1979
#62 Improve Your Pickups! Thrush 🏁the Performing Parts.1979
#63 Taylor’s Number 13 Insect Spray. Now A Double Action Killer!! Tested Trusted Ddt 1952 🦟🕷️🐞🪰🪳
#64 The Coming Meat, 1880
#65 We Found The Guy Responsible For The Vega Aluminum Engine
#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]
#69 Samsung Mp3 Phone 2000
#70 Bug Too! You Can’t Keep A Good Bug Down. [1996]
#71 Virtua Cop 2: Twice As Lethal [1996]
#72 1-900-200-Sega: Hey There. Are You Tired Of This? Call Now [1996]
#73 Presenting Tobal No. 1 At The Galaxy Amphitheater [1996]
#74 Battleship – Warning: Before Playing, Notify Your Next Of Kin. [1996]
#75 Risk: War Is Hell. [1996]
