Shameless Vintage Ads That Were Once Acceptable

By | September 1, 2021

Alcoa Aluminum advertisement, 1960s

Advertisements have always been about one thing and one thing only: selling products to consumers. Ads in the modern era tend to be created to appeal to the most broad base possible, but that hasn't always been the case. The following shameless vintage ads are full of images and text that were once acceptable but would now be canceled.

Look close at these rare ads from previous decades... you'll see products that you know and love being sold through means that are completely alien to commercials in the modern era. Some of them are sexist, some use false information, some are just plain weird, and many combine all three of those factors to create an ad that crosses the line and would be banned today.

All of the ads collected here went too far in one way or another. Even though some of the images and copy that they use are amusing these ads will never be approved in this day and age.

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source: pinterest

This Alcoa Aluminum advertisement from 1953 isn't about the bottle in question, but the cap on top of the bottle. Apparently before Alcoa put this type of lid into production they were under the impression that women had to have their husbands open things for them. That's far from the truth.

As if the thinking behind this ad wasn't bad enough, many people don't even know that it's an ad for Alcoa. A lot of viewers believe that it's a Del Monte ad - take a look at the label just under the lid. Regardless of who created the ad, it's hard to believe that something like this actually ran in the 20th century.

Lipton Tea, saving marriages one bag at a time

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source: pinterest

It's mind boggling to think that Lipton gave the thumbs up to this ad. Aside from being deeply sexist, the copy is absolutely bonkers at the bottom. It's strange to think that there was a time when pictograms and rude statements about wives were A-OK in the world of advertising.