Retro Ads and Graphics

More Ads!

2011-10-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

I just finished an update to my main site, Retro Ads and Graphics. I added articles on selected ads, mostly the companies history. There can be stories behind some of the ads that are fun to research. Remember to click on an ad to see it in its full size! Comments always appreciated and feel free to repost these to wherever you want. Just name this site as the source. Link exchanges would be great, too.

Oldsmobile loved the aviation theme and used it for years.

I am so glad I did not ever have to wear a shirt like this!

Everyone should have a gay party.

There is a second part to this, but I liked this side best.

What is this ad trying to say?

I like the shapes and the flow of this ad. Very elegant.

Aye, Aye, Captain. Report to the deck in your underwear on the double!

This is like one of those dreams where you forget to wear clothes and go to work in your underwear.

Just an ad with a family walking on a giant shoe.

Merry Christmas, Jimmy! Here is your new jack-in-the-box!

The woman looks a little too excited about her coffee maker. Maybe if her husband stayed home more often...

Back with more ads!

2011-09-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

I apologize for repeats. I have too many ads to manage!

New Ads

2010-11-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

I finally got a batch of new (old) magazines, mostly Life. Here are a few ads from them.

Ads, Ads and More Ads!

2010-10-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I am running out of source material for awhile. Should have more by the end of October. Thanks for stopping by!

Late May Fun - click on image for larger version

2010-05-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Looks like the Skipper has brought the booze for the USS Minnow christmas party.

More Retro Ad Fun!

2010-05-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Takes me awhile to get around to posting new ads. Here are a few to enjoy!

New Ads for April

2010-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

I apologize if I should happen to repost from another entry. Don't forget to right click on the image to view it larger.

My Other Website

2010-03-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

First off, thanks to all who have stopped by and to the people who are following this blog! I appreciate it!
Please don't forget to stop by my main website, Retro Ads and Graphics. There are lots more there to view!

New Ads Today!

2010-03-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

I will have to update on a more regular basis since I have this nice new template. Enjoy!

A New Look and More Ads!

2010-02-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

I am changing the look of this blog so I can try to keep with many of the other blogs out there that are dedicated to vintage ads. My main site, Retro Ads and Graphics, looks much better and was done to sharpen my website design and programming skills. This blog was done just for fun. I had planned to write witty commentary about the ads, but found that it was difficult to adjust the text and the pictures using the blogspot content manager. Maybe this one will work out once I get around to finishing it. I discovered that I have a few followers. Thanks!

I am also very impressed by the design and hardwork that others are doing to showcase vintage ads, videos, artwork and so on.

So here are a few ads in my new design. Hope it works.

ADS, ADS, and MORE ADS

2009-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

One of these days I will get back to my main site, RETRO ADS AND GRAPHICS. But for now here are a few oldies.

Even More Ads

2009-09-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Been awhile. Here are a few oldies to keep you busy for about a minute. Note that my main website is RETRO ADS AND GRAPHICS, which contains hundreds of ads. I have not been updating much, but plan to do more as winter approaches and I obtain more material.

This is a cool ad because I just got one of these cameras in mint condition. It is nothing rare as over 3 million were made. I plan to load it up with color film and take a few fall pictures with it.

More and More Ads

2009-09-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

No posting since August 2? Here are more to make up for the last month. Been busy with life events.

Even More Ads

2009-08-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! A few people looked at this blog! I honor of that, here are a more ads from the days gone by.

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New Ads

2009-07-23T16:21:00.001-07:00

I have really been neglecting this site. Here are a few ads for the few people who have actually stopped by!

I just did a massive update to my main site, Retro Ads and Graphics. Please stop in to take a look at more. Also, please feel free to leave any smartass comments. I am not adding any here as the text does not wrap around the images correctly. Thanks!

More Ads today

2009-05-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have neglected to ad to this blog the last month. I have been busy. So here are more ads to enjoy, for the few people who have actually visited this site!

Here is an oldie - Syd Barret-era Pink Floyd ad, when they were known as "The Pink Floyd."

50’s era ad for Parker Pens. Parker had a lot of great ads out back then - very stylish.

Pepsi did a series of ads like like this, very elegant illustrations.

I just sold this one on e-bay. This is from Fortune magazine, 1942. All of Bohns ads ad a futuristic theme. I wonder if this would have actually flown.

This has an art-deco feel to me. Cool ad for a vacuum cleaner.

Santa endorsed many a product, with Jello being just one of many, although cigarettes seem to be his favorite product endorsement.

This guy looks like Bill Murray to me. Maybe just a little bit at first glance.

This is an ad from National Geographic, 1950’s, for blankets.

We used to get this excited over Dixie Cups, too , when we were kids.

A Few Ads about Eating, Drinking and Smoking

2009-04-05T17:20:00.001-07:00

Here are a few cool ads about food. The Lifesavers ad is one of my favorites. I am not sure what year it was published, probably late 1940s, early 1950s.
Pepsi did many ads in this style, I have quite a few. This is one of them.

Head-only photos were very popular in the 40s-60s. I wonder if it was cheaper to use the head and hands instead of the whole body? Probably not!

This Milky Way ad is very strange and dates to the 1950s. I have not seen anything quite like it.

Ads for cigarettes were very creative. I restored this one in Photoshop. It is from the 1950s.
Old Angus likes his scotch and his sheep.

It is good to know that most doctors prefer Camels.

Bogart and Becall make an appearance for cigars.

Santa was doing a lot of endorsing in the old days. Apparently cigarettes were one of his favorites.

Car Ads

2009-03-28T18:31:00.001-07:00

I have found that old car ads are some of the best ones out there. I have found, in my opinion, that the best ones are from the 1940's to the late 1950's. The ads from the 40's are particularly nice. In addition to this, I have just added a new page of cars to my main site, Retro Ads and Graphics.

This series of ads for Nash are really great. I think these are from the 1940s.

This 1952 Oldsmobile Rocket is another favorite. This ad is from a large format magazine and is in mint shape.

Here is a trio of Chevys from 1957.

Here are a few beautiful ads for 21940s Fords and a 1950s model.

Hudson was a well-known brand. I thought I had more Hudson ads. I will have to seach around for them. Here is one from 1956.

Here are a few 1950s era Pontiac ads.

I do not want to forget about Dodge. I do not have many old ones so a few from the 1960s are here, including the legendary 1969 Dodge Charger.

National Geographic Ads from 1950s

2009-03-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

I just bought about 12 National Geographics, all from the 1950s. I plan to go back to buy the rest of them, as there are about 50 left! I did a bit of research and found that 1950s National Geographics are popular among artists and designers. I feel that the best design and illustrations were done from about mid 1940 to the early 1960's. Many of the ads for travel, airlines and ship travel were still trying to sell the "romantic" part of travel. Ship travel was popular, and traveling by airplanes was still new and exciting.

Photography took over and design became more bland. The magaiznes, while in mint condition, are only $2 each. However, if I remove the ads, they are worth about $3-7 individually, according the e-stores on e-bay. I plan to do exactly that, but I do not think they are huge sellers at the moment.

Here are a few of the ads from the magazines.

The Kenya, New York, etc series are part of a campaign for Bank America Cheques. There are quite a few of them, as I have found many of them for sale on e-bay.

Retro Ads and Graphics - A Look at Past Advertising

2009-03-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this site is to share my collection of vintage advertisements from various magazines, starting from the 1920's up to the later 1970's. This site is a companion to my main site, Retro Ads and Graphics, which I started mainly to improve my CSS and website building skills. I did not leave any room for comments on the ads, so that is why I am doing this one, too. The two sites will work together to bring these ads back to life.

I was very impressed with many of these ads. I am a graphic designer, so I look at them differently than most. I see work that was done way before computers, when it took typesetters, plate strippers, camera operators and other skills to make these ads happen.

My source materials are maily Life, Saturday Evening Post, and National Geographics, in addition to four Fortune magazines from the WW2 years. My website has the ads arranged by category. I am not going to do that here. I plan to put my favorites up in no particular order and make comments on them.

Starting with this one, from 1955, for Janzen Swimwear. Gotta love the pose here.

This one takes us back to the day when a woman dressed up to play tennis.

This one, for Carnation Milk, is a little creepy. I am not sure I like the look on the boys faces. I do not think you could do an ad like this today.

I have a few ads that show Santa's smoking habit. Here is one.

This guy seems a bit to pre-occupied with the beer, instead of focusing on what looks like a baby on the way.

I wish I could have been in the meeting where they came up with the idea for this one, for Matico Floors, from 1955.

Men just do not dress up like this anymore. I never got to wear a hat to work.

I have more car ads than anything else. This is my new favorite. Oldsmobile Rocket 98 from 1952. Click to view larger.

These old car ads are fantastic artwork, as shown on this one for Pontiac. From 1956,this car is called the Strato-Streak, probably one of many products with the Strato-theme.

To end tonights post, nothing says "Happy Birthday, Dad" than a carton of fresh cigarettes. How many birthdays will old dad have left if he gets these every year?

I have so many more to post! tune in again or visit my other website. Please fell free to comment!