Throwback Ads

    Year : 1951 Advertiser : Auto-Lite Message : While some spark plugs may look alike, don't be fooled! There is only one Auto-Lite and its spark plugs will deliver better results for your car. Background/Fun Fact : Auto-Lite sparks plugs are, and have been since 2000, the official spark plug of NASCAR. Sources :     - Ad : Vintage Ad Browser     - Fun Fact : Wikipedia

Year : 1987 Advertiser : Mizuno Message : At first the ad seems critical of the products it is advertising. "These professional athletes (Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman) would never wear our shoes." At second glance, though, one realizes the ad is cleverly arguing that Mizuno's shoes will make you ultra-fast. The language in this ad both draws you in and does a good job of communicating the products' value proposition. Background/Fun Fact : Although Mizuno mostly focuses on sports equipment and sportswear, in the 1930s the company, based in Japan, started producing gliders for the Japanese military. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/sports-ads-1980s     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizuno  

  Date : 1970 Advertiser : Campbell's (Campbell Soup Company) Message : Making use of a play on words, Campbell's informs readers that during the high-inflation times of the 1970s one way to make their money go farther is to buy the company's economical soups. Background/Fun Fact : The iconic red-and-white color scheme of the Campbell's soup can was inspired by the Cornell University football team's uniforms. A Campbell's executive named Herberton Williams had seen the uniforms' "carnelian red" color and convinced the company to use it on their labels. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/household-ads-1970s/9     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_Soup_Company

  Year : 1973 Advertiser : Sanka Message : You can try drowning out the taste of bitter coffee with mounds of sugar but at that point is it still a cup of coffee? Better to start out with a coffee that isn't bitter in the first place. Background/Fun Fact : The name Sanka comes from the French sans caféine or "without caffeine." The Sanka brand was created by Ludwig Roselius who, with the help of a team of researchers, was the first to develop a process by which to decaffeinate coffee. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/drinks-ads-1970s/10     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_HAG

  Year : 1965 Advertiser : Bank of America Meaning : Even though the dollar may not be the local currency where you're traveling to, a Bank of America travelers cheque will always be accepted. Background/Fun Fact : Of all banks in the United States, Bank of America is the second-largest (after JP Morgan Chase). If all banks in the world are brought into the equation, however, Bank of America is the eighth largest. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/money-ads-1960s/10     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_America

  Year : 1977 Advertiser : Kellogg's Message : While Sugar Smacks may be a kids' cereal and have a fun mascot it's not all sugar. By showing parents (the target audience of this ad) the nutrition facts label Kellogg's gives them evidence of Sugar Smacks' healthfulness. Background/Fun Fact : Kellogg's was the first cereal company to put prizes in its boxes. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/food-ads-1970s/9     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg%27s#Marketing

  Year : 1969 Advertiser : McDonald's Message : While the Big Mac may look like just another sandwich, there is no need to worry about leaving McDonald's hungry. This hamburger will be sure to fill you up. Background/Fun Fact : As of 2007 McDonald's sells 560 million Big Macs a year. This means the chain sells 17 Big Macs every second . Sources :     - Ad : https://www.foodiggity.com/the-first-mcdonalds-big-mac-ad/     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac

  Year : 1943 Advertiser : Bell Telephone System (owned by AT&T) Message : In a perfect world, Bell's telephone wires would be able to handle all long-distance traffic, whether civilian or war-related. Under current conditions, though, with resources going to the war effort, Bell is unable to produce more wires. For this reason, please don't make a long-distance call to areas of conflict unless it's absolutely necessary. Background/Fun Fact : In 1984 the Department of Justice broke Bell Telephone System up into seven separate companies sometimes called Baby Bells. One of these companies, Bell Atlantic, eventually became known as Verizon. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/communications-ads-1940s/4     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Communications

        Year : 1989   Advertiser : Technics (a Panasonic brand)   Message : At first you may do a double take when you look at this ad's headline. The ad makes more sense when you read the text below the photo. The text explains that while the instrument may look like just a keyboard, it can produce the sounds of a multitude of other instruments...including a guitar. This ad makes good use of its headline not only by drawing readers in but also by emphasizing the product's value proposition. Background/Fun Fact : Panasonic, the parent company of the Technics brand, started out by manufacturing light bulb sockets. Sources:     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/music-ads-1980s/16     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic

  Year : 1928 Advertiser : Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company Message : While snow and other weather conditions may prevent the U.S. Postal Service from delivering your mail, nothing prevents your Atwater Kent radio from delivering clear, crisp broadcasts over the radio waves and into your home. With an Atwater Kent radio you'll never be without news and entertainment.  Background/Fun Fact : Arthur Atwater Kent Sr., the founder of Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company, also helped found what would become the Philadelphia History Museum which, until its closing in 2018, showcased such items as boxer Joe Frazier's gloves and a desk used by George Washington. (Kent Manufacturing was based in Philadelphia.) Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/electronics-ads-1920s     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_History_Museum

  Year : 1964           Advertiser : Towle Silversmiths Message : The people who may Towle silverware know what they are doing--they've been working with silver for over 150 years! You can trust that a Towle product will be of the best quality. Background/Fun Fact : Anthony Francis Towle and William P. Jones, who founded the company that was to eventually become Towle Silversmiths, were apprentices to the Moulton family of silversmiths. The Moultons are thought to have "the longest continuous span of silversmithing of any American family."  Sources :      - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/household-ads-1960s/9     - Fun Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulton_family_(silversmiths)

        Year : 1972 Advertiser : Wayne Manufacturing Company Message : Wyatt Earp, lawman of the American West, used law and order to "clean up" Dodge City. Wayne Manufacturing Company's street sweepers, too, are cleaning up America's cities, except their drivers are focused on the appearance of these cities' streets and not on the criminal that may walk them. Background/Fun Fact : Wayne's street sweepers can be seen in such TV shows as "The Incredible Hulk" (1977-82) and "Kojak" (1973-78). Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/industry-ads-1970s/5     - Fun Fact : https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Wayne_model-Sweeper.html

  Year : 1984 Advertiser : Perrier (Source Perrier SA Group) Message : Unlike cola and other sodas, Perrier is a naturally-created (and thus healthier) drink. So feel good about cracking open one of those green bottles! Background/Fun Fact : The spring in France where Perrier's water is sourced from was used in Roman times as a spa.     Sources :     -Ad: https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/drinks-ads-1980s/12#adp1f207diadsr2x     -Fact: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrier

  Year : 1973 Advertiser : Cessna Aircraft Company Message : Thanks to the Cessna Skyhawk's high gas mileage you don't have to sacrifice speed in order to save on gas. Background/Fun Fact : This ad was released during the 1973 oil crisis. The crisis began in October of that year when a group of oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia imposed an embargo on oil. By the time the crisis ended in March 1974 the price of oil had increased from $3 to almost $12 a barrel. Sources :     - Ad : https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/airlines-and-aircraft-ads-1970s/7     - Fact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis

  Year : 1990 Advertiser : Jonathan's Landing (a sub-division/gated community in Florida) Message : Getting on the water--and getting access to all the activities associated with being on the water--is easy for anyone who chooses to live at Jonathan's Landing. Background/Fun Fact : How did Jupiter, the town where Jonathan's Landing is located, get its name? The story goes that when the Spanish arrived in the region in the 16th century they found a Native American village by the name of Hobe. The English, who arrived two centuries later, saw Hobe on a Spanish map and misinterpreted it as the Spanish spelling of the Roman god Jove. The English decided to call the place by Jove's more common name...Jupiter. Source : https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35912566/the-palm-beach-post/

        Year : 1990 Advertiser : Jaguar Cars Message : While paintings are becoming increasingly more expensive to acquire, Jaguar's own "artwork," the XJ6, is still both striking and accessible. Background/Fun Fact : Jaguar, headquartered in the United Kingdom, holds a royal warrant from both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles which essentially means they are the official provider of automobiles to these member of the British royal family.     Sources :  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Warrant_of_Appointment_(United_Kingdom) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_Cars

                                       Year : 1984 Advertiser : Apple Computer, Inc. Message : Unlike other products on the market, Macintosh is easy for anybody to use. No need for complex manuals and programming languages.  Background/Fun Fact : The famous "1984" advertisement which announced the Macintosh to Americans was directed by Ridley Scott, famous for directing, among other things, "Alien" and "Blade Runner."     Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridley_Scott      

         Year : 1969 Advertiser : McDonald's Message : Both parents and kids will like McDonald's--parents because of the no-nonsense nourishment of their burgers and kids because, well, the food tastes good! Background/Fun Fact : The original McDonald's, opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald, started as a barbecue restaurant.     Source : https://www.rd.com/list/mcdonalds-facts-trivia/                                                                       

  Year : 1984 Advertiser : The Wall Street Journal Message : Reading The Wall Street Journal is as easy as using Microsoft's offerings. They make it practically effortless. (Plus, another meaning--by having Bill Gates feature in the advertisement--is that the types of people who read the Journal are the smart, "ahead-of-the-game" types.) Background/Fun Fact : What was to become The Wall Street Journal started out as "brief news bulletins, nicknamed 'flimsies,' hand-delivered throughout the day to traders at the stock exchange in the early 1880s."     Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall_Street_Journal    

      Year : Exact year unknown; from the 1970s Advertiser : Samsonite  Message : LEGO (plural of LEGO!) aren't just colorful bricks. They are a way to develop your child's brain, thus making playtime both fun and intellectually stimulating.   Background/Fun Fact : What do Samsonite and LEGO have to do with each other? Why is LEGO, a toy company, advertising with Samsonite, a luggage company? The story goes that in the early 1960s LEGO, recognizing the sales potential of the large North American market, wanted to expand from their European home turf. However, LEGO would need a sales and distribution network through which to get their products into North American children's hands. Rather than go through the trouble and incur the costs of creating their own network, LEGO decided to partner with an established player on the continent, Samsonite. From this deal, Samsonite earned "a 99-year license for exclusive North American distribution rights" for LEGO bricks. Ho...