INFORMATION VINE * Vintage Ads From The Past That We Don’t See Today *.

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Throughout history, brands have created many different ways of promoting their products and services. While some of these advertisements have fallen into obscurity, others still exist in one form or another.
Among these many advertisements are a variety of colorful artwork, memorable slogans, and iconic logos, some of which remain influential today. Before the emergence of social media, these ads helped companies reach a large audience. Here are 50 vintage ads from the past that we don't see today.

Kodak (1951)

This advertisement for Kodak's Ektachrome photographic film originally appeared in Country Life magazine in 1951. Established in 1897, Country Life operated out of London until 2016, when it relocated its headquarters to Farnborough, Hampshire, in southeastern England.



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Developed in the 1940s, Ektachrome was known for its vivid colors and fine grain. After the gradual discontinuation of Ektachrome between 2009 and 2013, Kodak brought the line back in 2018 due to popular demand.

Daimler (1951)

Founded by Henry John Lawson in 1896, the Daimler Company Limited was a British car manufacturer headquartered in Coventry. In 1902, this company received the prestigious honor of a Royal Warrant of Appointment to supply cars to the monarchy of the United Kingdom.



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The Daimler automobile in this 1951 advertisement is a Daimler Regency, which debuted that year. Only weeks after its introduction, demand for new cars decreased in the United Kingdom due to the anticipated lowering of the Purchase Tax. Despite this, Daimler continued to make the Regency until 1958.

Ray-Ban (1968)

Bausch & Lomb launched the Ray-Ban brand of eyewear in 1936. Having already made special lenses that reduced glare for the United States military, B&L decided to release these glasses to the general public.



Photo Courtesy: [SenseiAlan/Wikimedia Commons]


The 1968 advertisement pictured here is for the Ray-Ban Outdoorsman sunglasses. First introduced in 1939, Ray-Ban initially marketed these sunglasses towards people who regularly participated in outdoor activities, such as hunters and shooters.

Listerine (1925)

The advertisement in this 1925 edition of Life magazine is for Listerine, a brand of mouthwash named after pioneering surgeon Joseph Lister. Developed in 1879 by chemist Joseph Lawrence, Listerine became the first commercially available mouthwash in the United States in 1914.



Photo Courtesy: [LIFE Magazine/Wikimedia Commons]


Lawrence first licensed his formula for Listerine to Jordan Wheat Lambert, who subsequently founded the Lambert Pharmacal Company, listed at the bottom of the advertisement. The Lambert Pharmacal Company, later known as Warner-Lambert, was bought out by Pfizer in 2000. In 2006, Pfizer sold its consumer healthcare division to Johnson & Johnson, which has made and distributed the mouthwash ever since.

Whitman's (1952)

Founded in Philadelphia in 1842, Whitman's is among the oldest and most popular brands of boxed chocolates in the United States. Whitman's Sampler, which contains a variety of candies, including seasonal flavors, made its debut in 1912 and has since become one of the company's best-known products.



Photo Courtesy: [Whitman's/Wikimedia Commons]


This 1952 advertisement for Whitman's Sampler, released just before Valentine's Day, features actress Elizabeth Taylor. It also references Taylor's role in the historical film Ivanhoe, based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott.

Cutex (1960)

The Cutex brand hit the market in 1911 when chemist Northam Warren trademarked his liquid cuticle remover. Following the success of the liquid cuticle remover, Warren released additional products under the Cutex name, including an acetone-based nail polish remover that increased the popularity of liquid nail polish.



Photo Courtesy: [Cutex/Wikimedia Commons]


This Cutex advertisement dates back to 1960 and originally appeared in an issue of the fan magazine Modern Screen. It promotes the Pearl Polish line, particularly the Capri Blue and Coral Sand colors.

Apple (1977)

The Apple II home computer, introduced by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at the West Coast Computer Faire in 1977, was the company's first product made for general consumers instead of business workers and computer hobbyists. It would be the first computer in the Apple II series, which continued until the Apple IIe ended production in 1993.



Photo Courtesy: [Apple Computer Inc./Wikimedia Commons]


Advertisements for the Apple II, such as the one pictured here, emphasized that the computer was intended primarily for the consumer market. This advertisement originally appeared in the December 1977 issue of the computer magazine Byte.

Post (1955)

Postum Cereals, later known as Post Cereals and commonly referred to as Post, started making breakfast cereal in 1897, beginning with Grape-Nuts. Over the years, Post has introduced many popular varieties of breakfast cereal, including Honeycomb, Cocoa Pebbles, and Honey Bunches of Oats.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


In 1948, Post introduced Sugar Crisp, a breakfast cereal consisting of sweetened, sugar-coated puffed wheat. This 1955 advertisement promotes Sugar Crisp as suitable for breakfast, snacks, or candy. After changing its name to Super Sugar Crisp in 1967 and Super Golden Crisp in 1985, Post Cereals finally shortened it to Golden Crisp for the American market.

Campbell's (1968)

The Campbell Soup Company, commonly known as Campbell's, was founded in 1869 by Joseph A. Campbell. Based out of Camden, New Jersey, the brand is primarily associated with its line of canned soup, whose red and white can design has become a staple of American pop culture.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


This 1968 advertisement for Campbell's Tomato Soup draws inspiration from the psychedelic art style. Characterized by vivid colors and surreal, cartoonish visuals, psychedelic art emerged from the 1960s counterculture movement.

Royal Crown Cola (1963)

Royal Crown Cola, commonly abbreviated to RC Cola, hit the market in 1905 and became a primary competitor of Coca-Cola. The brand made two of its most impactful innovations in the 1950s when Royal Crown debuted the first canned soft drinks and caffeine-free soda.



Photo Courtesy: [RC Cola/Wikimedia Commons]


Famed comedian, actor, and filmmaker Jerry Lewis appeared in this 1963 advertisement for Royal Crown Cola. It also promotes Lewis's newest film, The Nutty Professor, released in June of that year.

Yuban (1970)

American business mogul and coffee roaster John Arbuckle created the Yuban coffee brand. Its name is reportedly an abbreviation of Yule Banquet since Arbuckle would serve this blend to the guests at his holiday dinners.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


By 1970, when this advertisement appeared in print, Yuban had become a subsidiary of General Foods. The ad recommends drinking the coffee with Peach Melba, a French dessert that consists of peaches, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream.

Palmolive (1922)

The B.J. Johnson Soap Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, introduced Palmolive soap in 1898, whose formula incorporated both palm oil and olive oil. Aside from soap, Palmolive also makes shampoo, hair conditioner, and dishwashing liquid.



Photo Courtesy: [Palmolive/Wikimedia Commons]


This 1922 advertisement for Palmolive soap appeared in Photoplay, one of the first American film magazines. According to the ad, a bar of Palmolive soap only cost ten cents at the time, in contrast to higher-priced facial soaps, which would have cost at least 25 cents.

Nabisco (1954)

Originally called the National Biscuit Company, Nabisco is best known as the manufacturer of some of the world's most popular snack foods, including Fig Newtons, Wheat Thins, and Oreo cookies. Founded in Chicago in 1898, the company has been a subsidiary of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company since 1985 and currently operates out of East Hanover, New Jersey.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


Pictured here is an advertisement for Nabisco from 1954, which emphasizes the quality of its products. The three cookies advertised are Nabisco Vanilla Wafers, now known as Nilla Wafers, Oreo Creme Sandwiches, and Nabisco Devil's Food Squares, which are no longer available.

Microsoft (1986)

Established by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, Microsoft is one of the largest and most valuable companies in the world. As of 2019, it is the third publicly traded company in the U.S. to reach a valuation of over $1 trillion, following Apple and Amazon.



Photo Courtesy: [Microsoft/Wikimedia Commons]


Windows 1.0, the first of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, made its debut in late 1985. This eight-page advertisement appeared in January 1986. Despite initial criticisms, Windows proved to be a monumental success for Microsoft and continued to receive support until December 2001.

ERCO (1946)

Henry Berliner, the sixth son of inventor Emile Berliner, founded the Engineering and Research Corporation, also known as ERCO, in 1930. In 1937, just two years before World War II started, the company released the Ercoupe monoplane.



Photo Courtesy: [Engineering and Research Company/Wikimedia Commons]


This full-page advertisement for the ERCO Ercoupe appeared in the February 1946 issue of Skyways magazine. According to the ad, the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Administration certified the Ercoupe incapable of spinning.

Chevrolet (1969)

Chevrolet, also known as Chevy, was founded by Swiss brothers and racecar drivers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet and General Mills co-founder William C. Durant. The company began selling mainstream vehicles in 1919 to compete with Ford, eventually surpassing it as the makers of the top-selling car in the U.S. in 1929, when the Chevrolet International was released.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


The 1969 advertisement pictured here is for the Chevrolet Nova. This compact automobile debuted in 1961 as the Chevrolet Chevy II Nova. The year this advertisement was printed, Chevrolet dropped Chevy II from the name, simply referring to it as the Nova from then on.

Pillsbury (1953)

Charles Alfred Pillsbury and his uncle, John S. Pillsbury, founded the Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1869. Pillsbury became known for its baking products and started hosting a national baking competition in 1949, the Pillsbury Bake-Off.



Photo Courtesy: [Pillsbury/Wikimedia Commons]


One of Pillsbury's most popular products is its cake mixes, with the company introducing the first-ever chocolate cake mix in 1948. When this advertisement appeared in 1953, Pillsbury was outselling every other brand of cake mix by a wide margin.

Jim Beam (1974)

In 1880, the Beam family began selling their whiskey nationwide under the brand name Old Tub. They renamed the brand Jim Beam in 1943 after James Beauregard Beam, who had helped rebuild the family business after the Prohibition era.



Photo Courtesy: [Jim Beam/Wikimedia Commons]


Oscar-winning actress and movie star Bette Davis appeared in this 1974 advertisement for Jim Beam. The ad compares Davis to the bourbon whiskey, stating that they are both one-of-a-kind originals. Davis also appeared in several other Jim Beam ads alongside actor Robert Wagner.

Union Pacific (1934)

The Union Pacific Railroad, commonly known as Union Pacific, is currently the second-largest railroad in the United States. Initially founded in 1862 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, this railroad operates over 8,000 locomotives across 23 states from Illinois to the Pacific coast.



Photo Courtesy: [Union Pacific/Wikimedia Commons]


This 1934 advertisement for Union Pacific promotes the new M-10000, the first streamlined passenger train delivered in the United States. The train remained in service until 1941, with its aluminum recycled for the aircraft industry in World War II.

Carter's Ink (1937)

William Carter established The William Carter Company, the predecessor of Carter's Ink, in 1858. He initially repackaged inks produced by other companies and sold them under his name before the disruption caused by the American Civil War forced him to make inks on his own.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


In the 1920s, Carter's Ink started manufacturing fountain pens, which remain popular with some collectors. This advertisement for the company dates back to 1937, displaying multiple colors and sizes of ink.

Ritz (1939)

Though Ritz Crackers first hit the market in 1934, the Jackson Cracker Company of Jackson, Michigan, developed a similar product called Jaxon in the early 1900s. Nabisco bought out the company in 1919 and introduced Ritz to compete with Hi Ho, a brand of crackers made by its rival Sunshine Biscuits.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


This Ritz advertisement from 1939 declares them to be America's favorite crackers. It also suggests sides for Ritz, including cocktails, salads, and cottage cheese with chopped chives, seasoning, and light cream.

Beech-Nut (1938)

Frank Barbour, formerly a Yale University quarterback and the Michigan Wolverines head coach, joined the Beech-Nut Packing Company in 1910. As its director, Barbour launched the Beech-Nut Chewing Gum line.



Photo Courtesy: [Beech-Nut/Wikimedia Commons]


During the Great Depression, the success of Beech-Nut Chewing Gum helped the company stay afloat amidst faltering sales. This advertisement from 1938 promotes six varieties of Beech-Nut Chewing Gum, including Peppermint and Spearmint.

Aunt Jemima (1951)

Chris L. Rutt and Charles G. Underwood developed the character of Aunt Jemima to promote their pancake mix. One of the first African-American corporate models, Nancy Green, portrayed Aunt Jemima at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, becoming the first of many women to play the character.



Photo Courtesy: [Aunt Jemima/Wikimedia Commons]


According to this advertisement from 1951, Aunt Jemima had become the best-loved pancakes in America. In 2021, due to significant controversy surrounding the character of Aunt Jemima, this brand returned to its original name, Pearl Milling Company.

Pepsi (1940)

Caleb Bradham invented Pepsi in 1893, initially selling it as Brad's Drink from his drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina. This drink became Pepsi-Cola in 1898 because it supposedly relieved dyspepsia, also known as indigestion.



Photo Courtesy: [Pepsi-Cola Co./Wikimedia Commons]


In 1940, when this advertisement appeared in print, a 12-ounce bottle of Pepsi only cost five cents. Interestingly, a 12-ounce bottle of Pepsi now costs around $4.88. Cola was dropped from the title in 1961, giving the drink its current name.

Kellogg's (1941)

Will Keith Kellogg founded the Kellogg Company in his hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1906. The company's first product, Corn Flakes, was initially served to patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, where he worked with his brother, John Harvey Kellogg.



Photo Courtesy: [Kellogg Company/Wikimedia Commons]


By the 1940s, Kellogg's had introduced a variety of breakfast cereals, including Bran Flakes, Granola, and Shredded Wheat. This advertisement from 1941 is for Rice Krispies, which made its debut in 1927.

Chesterfield (1942)

Named after Chesterfield County in central Virginia, the Chesterfield brand of cigarettes hit the market in 1896. The Drummond Tobacco Company of St. Louis, Missouri, produced them until its acquisition by the American Tobacco Company two years later.



Photo Courtesy: [Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company/Wikimedia Commons]


The full-page Chesterfield advertisement pictured here appeared in a 1942 issue of Carolina magazine. The ad features actress Rosalind Russell and promotes her upcoming film, My Sister Eileen, released by Columbia Pictures.

Land O'Lakes (1972)

Headquartered in the Twin Cities suburb of Arden Hills, Minnesota, Land O'Lakes is among the largest dairy producers in the United States. This agricultural cooperative, consisting of around 10,000 employees and over 3,000 farmers, handles 12 billion pounds of milk every year.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


The Land O'Lakes mascot, a Native American woman, appears in this advertisement from April 1972. Designed by Arthur C. Hanson in 1928 and updated by Ojibwe artist Patrick DesJarlait in the 1950s, she remained on Land O'Lakes butter packaging until 2020, when the character was retired due to increasing controversy.

Dodge (1970)

Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company, a supplier of auto parts, in 1900. Initially working with Ford and other automakers in the Detroit area, the company released its first car in 1914, the Dodge 30-35.



Photo Courtesy: [Dodge/Wikimedia Commons]


This advertisement is for the 1970 Dodge Charger, the final model year of the second-generation Charger. The 1970 model had newer bucket seats and moved the ignition from the dashboard to the steering column.

Del Monte (1932)

Del Monte is one of the largest producers and distributors of processed food in the United States retail market. Every year, the company generates approximately $1.8 billion in sales through its various brands, including Contadina, College Inn, and S&W Premium Foods.



Photo Courtesy: [Struthious Bandersnatch/Wikimedia Commons]


This Del Monte advertisement originally appeared in an issue of Good Housekeeping magazine in 1932. It features multiple Del Monte products, including canned pineapple, peaches, apricots, pears, and fruits for salad.

RCA Victor (1941)

The Radio Corporation of America, commonly known as RCA, bought out the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1929, forming RCA Victor. Now known as RCA Records, the company has produced the albums of best-selling artists like Aretha Franklin, Britney Spears, Shakira, and Justin Timberlake.



Photo Courtesy: [Joe Haupt/Wikimedia Commons]


This vintage advertisement dates back to 1941 and promotes two RCA Victor shortwave radios, the Foreign Correspondent and the Super Six. It also features a smaller promotion for the RCA Victor Personal Radio, a predecessor to portable media players like the Walkman and the iPod.

Autodesk (1988)

Headquartered in San Rafael in the North Bay region of California, Autodesk provides software for multiple industries, including construction, education, and engineering. It operates offices in several other U.S. states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta.



Photo Courtesy: [AutoDesk Inc/Wikimedia Commons]


In the late 1980s, Autodesk released a vector drawing program called AutoSketch, one of the first Windows-based computer-aided design software products. This ad for the software initially appeared in the September 13, 1988 issue of PC Magazine.

Mobil (1941)

Mobil Corporation began in 1911 as the Standard Oil Company of New York. It rose to become one of seven transnational oil companies that dominated the petroleum industry from the 1940s to the 1970s, known as the Seven Sisters.



Photo Courtesy: [Socony-Vacuum Oil Company/Wikimedia Commons]


This advertisement for the company's motor oil brand, Mobiloil, appeared in a 1941 issue of Liberty magazine. In 1999, Mobil merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest oil companies.

StarKist (1949)

Martin J. Bogdanovich, an immigrant from present-day Croatia, established the French Sardine Company of California in San Pedro in 1917. In 1942, the company began marketing tuna under the brand name StarKist.



Photo Courtesy: [StarKist/Wikimedia Commons]


The StarKist advertisement pictured here is from the July 1949 issue of Photoplay magazine. It promotes a sterling silver charm bracelet that readers could obtain by sending in $1 and a label from a can of StarKist Tuna.

Crisco (1932)

The Procter & Gamble Company launched Crisco, the first brand of shortening made entirely of vegetable oil, in June 1911. One of the company's many marketing techniques was giving away free cookbooks in which all of the recipes called for Crisco.



Photo Courtesy: [Struthious Bandersnatch/Wikimedia Commons]


This advertisement for Crisco comes from a 1932 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. Like many Crisco ads, it encouraged consumers to rely on it as a brand. It also emphasized how easy it is to use Crisco to improve recipes.

Green Giant (1953)

The Green Giant brand of frozen and canned vegetables began as the Minnesota Valley Canning Company, founded in 1903 in Le Sueur, Minnesota. The Jolly Green Giant, the brand's mascot, debuted in 1925 and started appearing in television commercials in 1954.



Photo Courtesy: [Green Giant/Wikimedia Commons]


The advertisement pictured here initially appeared in the January 1953 issue of Ladies' Home Journal. The ad is for Green Giant Mexicorn, a colorful mixture of corn, green bell peppers, and red bell peppers.

Breck (1955)

In 1910, Dr. John H. Breck of Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a laboratory that produced skin creams and tonics. When his son, Edward J. Breck, joined the company in 1929, the two of them began making Breck Shampoo. The enormous success of the shampoo helped it expand into a national maker of hair care products.



Photo Courtesy: [John H. Breck, Inc./Wikimedia Commons]


This Breck advertisement appeared in the January 1955 issue of Photoplay magazine. Later advertisements for Breck Shampoo featured model Kim Basinger, who went on to have a successful acting career, appearing in films like The Natural, L.A. Confidential, and I Dreamed of Africa.

Camel (1933)

R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, popularized pre-packaged cigarettes with the Camel brand, introduced in 1913. Reynolds used Turkish tobacco and picked the Camel name to capitalize on the success of Egyptian cigarettes.



Photo Courtesy: [R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company/Wikimedia Commons]


This 1933 advertisement for Camel cigarettes features famous football referee Mike Thompson, promoting them as the only brand that does not upset his nerves. The ad also claims that many smokers have turned to Camel cigarettes, and as a result, are no longer nervous or irritable.

Motorola (1960)

Brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin founded the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in Chicago in 1928. Wanting a brand name for the company's car radio, Paul came up with Motorola by combining motorcar and Victrola, a phonograph made by the Victor Talking Machine Company.



Photo Courtesy: [Motorola/Wikimedia Commons]


Motorola introduced its highly successful line of transistor radios in the 1950s, starting with the 56T1 model. By the time this advertisement appeared in a 1960 issue of Life magazine, Motorola had released several additional models, including the 66T1, 76T1, and 76T2.

Oldsmobile (1962)

Oldsmobile began in 1897 as the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, founded by Ransom E. Olds of Lansing, Michigan. The Oldsmobile Model R, introduced in 1901, was made from the first auto assembly line, making it the first mass-produced car.



Photo Courtesy: [Oldsmobile/Wikimedia Commons]


The Oldsmobile F-85, later known as the Oldsmobile Cutlass, hit the market in 1961 and was the company's first compact car. This advertisement for the F-85 originally appeared in the October 5, 1962, issue of Life magazine.

Coppertone (1965)

Coppertone is one of the many brands owned by Beiersdorf, a German multinational company headquartered in Hamburg. This sunscreen hit the market in 1944 when pharmacist Benjamin Green invented a lotion to make tans darker.



Photo Courtesy: [Coppertone/Wikimedia Commons]


Over the years, Coppertone has had various celebrities appear in its advertisements. This ad is from 1965 and features German actress Elke Sommer, who had recently appeared in the film A Shot in the Dark, the sequel to 1963's The Pink Panther.

Lucky Strike (1948)

Lucky Strike hit the market in 1871 as a brand of chewing tobacco. By the early 1900s, it had evolved into a cigarette brand. The company's name drew inspiration from the gold rushes of the era, where only a lucky few would strike gold.



Photo Courtesy: [Internet Archive Book Images/Wikimedia Commons]


During the 1930s and 1940s, Lucky Strike was the best-selling brand of cigarettes in the United States. This full-page advertisement for Lucky Strike first appeared in an issue of Ladies' Home Journal magazine in 1948.

Cadillac (1965)

Founded in 1902, Cadillac is one of the world's oldest automotive brands, surpassed only by the Autocar Company, Oldsmobile, and Buick. Since 1909, the company has been a division of General Motors and has produced iconic models like the Cadillac DeVille and Cadillac Eldorado.



Photo Courtesy: [Cadillac Motor Division/Wikimedia Commons]


This full-page magazine advertisement from 1965 is for three models of the Cadillac Deville. The 1964 convertible is at the back left, the 1962 coupe is at the back right, and the 1965 sedan is at the front.

Shake 'N Bake (1968)

General Foods introduced the Shake 'N Bake line of flavored bread crumbs in 1965. The product provided an alternative to frying chicken and pork. After placing raw meat in a bag containing Shake 'N Bake and closing it, one would shake the bag to coat the meat in the bread crumbs and bake it in the oven.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


Pictured here is an advertisement for Shake 'N Bake from 1968. Before selling it to Kraft Foods, General Mills produced a series of television ads for Shake 'N Bake from the 1960s to the 1990s, featuring child actors like Philip Amelio and Taylor Momsen.

Virginia Slims (1970)

Philip Morris International launched the Virginia Slims brand of cigarettes in 1968, marketing it as a female-targeted alternative to the Benson & Hedges brand. The first test market for the new cigarettes was San Francisco, where they proved to be very popular.



Photo Courtesy: [Fma12/Wikimedia Commons]


This magazine advertisement for Virginia Slims is from 1970, two years after the cigarettes hit the market. Interestingly, the last television ad for cigarettes to air before the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banned such content was for Virginia Slims. It aired on January 1, 1971, during a broadcast of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Quaker State (1972)

The Quaker State motor oil brand finds its origins in the Phinny Brothers Oil Company, whose founder, T.G. Phinny, adopted the name to distinguish his products from competitors. The company achieved one of its first notable successes when it signed a contract with the Franklin Automotive Company of Syracuse, New York, becoming its exclusive oil provider.



Photo Courtesy: [SenseiAlan/Wikimedia Commons]


An early advertisement for Quaker State appeared in an issue of The Saturday Evening Post in 1915, demonstrating that it had become an established brand. This full-page ad appeared in Life magazine in 1972.

Windjammer Cruises (1975)

Windjammer Cruises operated out of Miami, Florida, and offered cruises across the Caribbean and Central America. The Windjammer fleet, which consisted of refitted yachts and commercial vessels, traveled to popular destinations like Aruba, Costa Rica, and the British Virgin Islands.



Photo Courtesy: [Windjammer Cruises/Wikimedia Commons]


The advertisement for Windjammer Cruises pictured here appeared in the October 1975 issue of Byte magazine. The company declared bankruptcy in 2007, followed by all its assets undergoing liquidation in 2008.

Sega (1976)

Martin Bromley and Richard Stewart established Sega in 1960 as Nihon Goraku Bussan. Soon after, the company acquired Service Games of Japan, and five years later abbreviated that name to become Sega. Initially making arcade games, Sega later produced home consoles like the Sega Genesis and video games like Phantasy Star, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Streets of Rage.



Photo Courtesy: [SEGA/Wikimedia Commons]


This advertisement from 1976 is a flier for the Sega arcade game Fonz. Based on the character from the television series Happy Days, the game was a rebranding of an earlier Sega racing title, Moto-Cross. Sega was allowed to rename their game Fonz since Gulf and Western, which controlled Paramount Television, owned their American branch.

On-Line Systems (1981)

Ken and Roberta Williams founded On-Line Systems in Oakhurst, California, in 1979. The first game published by the company, Mystery House, was released in 1980 and was the first graphic adventure game ever made.



Photo Courtesy: [On-Line Systems/Wikimedia Commons]


Pictured here is an On-Line Systems advertisement from 1981 promoting Mystery House and two of its other games, Mission: Asteroid and The Wizard and the Princess. On-Line Systems changed its name to Sierra On-Line in 1982 and later released iconic titles like King's Quest and Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.

Ford (1971)

The Ford Motor Company, commonly known as Ford, is named after its founder, Henry Ford, who established the company in 1903. Five years later, the company released the Ford Model T, the first widely affordable automobile and its first notable success, selling millions of units over nearly two decades.



Photo Courtesy: [Ford Motor Company/Wikimedia Commons]


By the 1970s, Ford was the second-largest automobile manufacturer in the United States, only surpassed by General Motors. This full-page advertisement from 1971 promotes the Ford LTD, which was once the company's largest model.

Giant (1985)

Giant Food of Maryland, commonly known as Giant, is a chain of supermarkets headquartered in Maryland with additional locations across Delaware, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Founded in 1936 by Nehemiah Meir Cohen and Samuel Lehrman, this chain experienced rapid growth in the late 1940s, with 17 locations by 1950.



Photo Courtesy: [National Cancer Institute/Wikimedia Commons]


This advertisement for Giant, produced in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, appeared in The Washington Post on November 6, 1985. The ad discusses fats, vegetables, fiber, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. It also states that fiber may aid in preventing colon cancer, with the number for the National Cancer Institute listed at the bottom left.