They say that you need to explore the past to understand the present. Like flipping through historic photos that change our perspective or discovering time-honored places and the stories behind them. Visuals help us get a sneak peek into moments that we have long forgotten or weren't even aware of. But there are some illustrations, like old-fashioned ads, that offer heaps of wisdom into how our attitudes were shaped and often get overlooked.
So get ready for a blast from the past because one corner on Reddit called 'Vintage Advertisements' is sharing plenty of hilarious and plain outrageous ads that didn’t age that gracefully. Members of this online community let us poke fun at past behaviors and remind us of all humanity has achieved in the last decades, and their efforts do not go unnoticed.
From "Get into Grunge!" to "Should you drink if you’re pregnant?", these ads prove that hindsight really is 20/20. We at Bored Panda have gathered some of their best examples and wrapped them up in one list, all for your entertainment. So continue scrolling and hit upvote on your favorite ones! And if you’ve ever stumbled upon ads that are simply begging to be ridiculed, we’d love to hear all about them in the comments below.
#1 Volkswagen Beetle, 1965
Image credits: Slow-moving-sloth
#2 Superman Against Racism/Discrimination Ad Circa 1950
Image credits: __braveTea__
#3 LEGO (1981)
Image credits: superdankm8
#4 Bacardi Rum Ad, 1983
Image credits: Unable-Airport-9121
#5 Homosexuals Are Different, Mattachine Society Of New York, 1960
Image credits: Slow-moving-sloth
#6 They All Got Vaccine Except Dad - Workbench Magazine - 1958
Image credits: sir_rossington
#7 Philips (Netherlands, 1951)
Image credits: ConsciousRhubarb
#8 American, 1885
Image credits: vmcla
#9 1978 Star Wars Vaccination Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#10 Electricity Was New Once. These Signs Were Mostly In Hotel Rooms And Other Public Places
Image credits: Gwendolyn7777
#11 1934 Ad By The ‘Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals’
Image credits: onepersononeidea
#12 1979 Ad For London Transit Showing How The City Would Look If Built By American Planners
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#13 Drunk Driving Ad, London... I'm Going To Say 1930's? Sorry For The Light Reflection!
Image credits: Terminian
#14 How To Carry 20 Megabytes Of Data Around In 1985
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 Pan American Airlines (1956)
Image credits: MetaHelvetica
#16 New York Pizza Burger (1980s)
Image credits: Epstiendidntkillself
#17 One Oregon Newspaper Clip Reads: “We Appeal To Your Civil Patriotism To Co-Operate With Us In Our Effort To Stamp Out The Spanish Influenza Or “Flu” Plague In Portland By Wearing A Mask”
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#18 Save Wild Life. 1975
Image credits: Dhorlin
#19 Ray Ban 1998 Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#20 Mcdonald’s, 1987 Ad
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#21 Remember When Brach’s Pick A Mix Was The Best Thing About Going To The Grocery Store? (1970s)
Image credits: DiosMioMan2
#22 The Establishment Wig, 1968
Image credits: reddit.com
#23 1977 Sears Catalog
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#24 "When In Quarantine; People Who Are In Quarantine Are Not Isolated If They Have A Bell Telephone" - Bell Telephone Ad, November 17, 1910
Image credits: FNaXQ
#25 Simpsons Newspaper Ad (1991)
Image credits: GrapeJelly_
#26 Citroën 2cv, 80’s
Image credits: Superbuddhapunk
#27 American Airlines, 1971
Image credits: Paul-Belgium
#28 Toll Booth Quarter Gun (1962)
Image credits: GymbagDarrel
#29 Matchbook Ad For Camp Wandawega In Elkhorn, Wi
Image credits: 50thStreetInc
#30 Garfield Telephone By Tyco (1978)
Image credits: TaimSolas
#31 Yes, These Are Telephones. Created By The Ericsson Company Of Sweden In The 1940s, Marketed In The 1950s
Image credits: 50thStreetInc
#32 Cellophane (1954): Better Living Through Chemistry
Image credits: PhilThecoloreds
#33 Lose Weight With Pure Sugar! (1950s)
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Image credits: 50thStreetInc
