Jack Daniels

It's hard to ignore the success of an advertising campaign when it spans over 4 decades!
Jack Daniel's series of black & white photography advertisements is an excellent example. This series of ads has been in circulation starting in the 50's all the way into the 2000's! Just like the Original No. 7 hasn't changed much over the years, I guess they feel the same way about their advertising. Read more...
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Listerine - Who Knew it Had So Many Uses?

I was watching the latest episode of one of my favorite shows American Pickers and was immediately interested when they started talking about an old bottle of Listerine they found. Like they often do... they displayed some vintage ads to help illustrate the history behind it. They discussed how Listerine was marketed for all sorts of uses besides just mouthwash. I instantly remembered that I had similar ads listed on our site! Read More...
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Pepsi Ads by the Artist Otto Soglow

A talented artist can have a profound effect on how a product is portrayed in an advertisement. There are plenty of artists that have contributed substantially to the field of advertising. One such artist was Otto Soglow. His cartoons are easily recognizable and effectively utilize humor as a tool to persuade the consumer to purchase the product advertised. He was did work for large companies such as Nabisco, Martin's Scotch, Royal Gelatin, and even the U.S. Treasury Department. But, my favorite series he did was for Pepsi. Read More...
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Caterpillar Tractor - There Are No Simple Solutions

One of the things I like about old ads is how they often respond to the social and political climate of their time period. There are usually very distinct sides to different topics of debate. If a company picks one side of that debate in their advertising campaign, they run the risk of alienating customers that might be on the other side. Depending on the companies primary audience, this might be an effective strategy. However, I find it very interesting when I find a campaign that is able to effectively target both sides of very complex issues. The ads for the Caterpillar Tractor Co. in the 70's are an excellent example of that. Read More...
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Bacardi Ads with Telly Savalas

As we head into the summer, I thought it might be nice to feature an advertising series that epitomizes cool, care-free and refreshing. One series that immediately came to mind was Bacardi's series in the 80's featuring Telly Savalas. These ads are all set in warm, inviting tropical locations, where this Greek actor looks quite at home. Read More...
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Wildlife as Canon Sees It

What's the purpose of advertising? I guess when you get right down to it... the main reason for ads is to convince you to buy something. But, that doesn't mean it's the only reason companies advertise. Some might have other secondary goals in mind. One of the campaigns that comes to mind to help illustrate this is Canon's 30-year long Wildlife as Canon Sees it series. These ads have been running since the early 80's (an incredibly long time for any single campaign!) and focus on animals that are endangered species threatened with extinction. Read More!
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Women in WWII - Sierra Pine Soap Ads

WWII helped to bring about a huge cultural change in the United States. It was not common for a woman to work outside of the home. But, with so many men shipped off to war... women very successfully stepped in to fill the workforce. One of the advertising campaigns from the period that helps to illustrate all this was a series of ads from Sierra Pine soap. Their basic concept was that women worked their "manly" jobs during the day... came home, cleaned up... and were back to their feminine selfs. Read More
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Child Labor

One thing that I have always found interesting about vintage advertising is how much the world has changed in such a relatively short period of time. Advertising really gives us good insight to the culture of a particular era. I was recently struck by two advertisements we recently listed on our site. These ads were from the National Child Labor Committee, and illustrate some of the early stages in reforming child labor laws in the United States. Read More...
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Joe Camel Cigarette Ads

I find it very interesting to see how what is acceptable in advertising changes through the times. You don't have to look too far back in history to find examples. The Camel cigarette advertising campaign featuring Joe Camel definitely helps to illustrate this point. This 10-year ad campaign ran from the late 80's to the late 90's, and had a tremendous impact on advertising in the United States. Read More...
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Honeywell Computer Component Ads

Advertising is such a visual medium, it's no surprise that companies put a lot of effort into their artwork. Honeywell is a great example. They ran a very successful ad campaign in the 60's and 70's using sculptures that they created from their computer components. These sculptures were mainly of animals, and the detail is just incredible!

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Hostess Comic Book Ads - Marvel & DC Superheroes!

Vintage advertising is by far my biggest passion... but I'm also a huge fan of comic books! So, there's no surprise that when the two fields merge... I love it! One of my favorite series that brought these areas together was the Hostess Comic Book ads! These ads ran from 1975 till 1982, and featured tons of major comic book characters. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Daredevil and Iron Man all appeared in this series! Read More...
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Dr. Seuss Flit Insecticide Ads

It's hard to find anyone that isn't familiar with the work of Dr. Seuss. His children's books have been part of our culture for over 75 years! The books he created have stood the test of time. Many of his books have been turned into movies, such as Horton Hears a Who, The Grinch who Stole Christmas... and most recently, The Lorax. READ MORE....
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