12 Obsolete Tech Ads That Wouldn’t Run Today
These ads serve as quirky monuments to how quickly tech marketing becomes outdated.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
Technology moves fast, but advertising norms shift even faster. These obsolete tech ads reflect not only past devices but also the outdated social cues, humor, and priorities of their time. While some remain nostalgic fun, others remind us how much consumer expectations and cultural sensitivities have evolved.
1. Apple’s “Lemmings” (1985)
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Apple’s infamous Super Bowl ad portrayed blindfolded office workers walking off a cliff to eerie whistling, likening PC users to brainless lemmings. It was meant to push the Macintosh Office as a revolutionary alternative but ended up insulting the very professionals they hoped to convert. The backlash was so severe, Apple never aired the ad again.
2. Commodore VIC-20 with William Shatner (1981)
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This ad featured William Shatner dismissing computers like the Apple II as “toys” while promoting the Commodore VIC-20 as the “wonder computer of the 1980s.” The tone was oddly defensive, and the visuals made it feel more like a sci-fi parody than a tech pitch. Today, it would be laughed at for its over-the-top delivery and unnecessary digs at competitors.
3. Atari “Power Without the Price” (1993)
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Atari tried to mock Apple and IBM by showing a businessman getting sprayed in the face with a seltzer bottle when asked about PC prices. The slapstick tone clashed with the serious nature of computing needs in the ’90s. In a time when consumers expect transparency and respect, this kind of clownish messaging wouldn’t land well today.
4. Sony MiniDisc: “MD = Mass Destruction?” (1997)
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Sony ran print ads that showed a wrecked CD with the phrase “MD = Mass Destruction?” implying MiniDiscs would obliterate CDs. The aggressive wording and violent undertone feel excessive in a market that now prefers cleaner, more socially conscious marketing. Plus, MiniDiscs flopped soon after, making the boast ironic.
5. Gateway Country Stores: “Computers in a Barn” (Late 1990s)
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Gateway ran folksy ads showing computers being sold out of a literal barn, complete with cows and gingham shirts. The idea was to portray a humble, down-to-earth tech company, but it ended up seeming out of place in the emerging sleek tech aesthetic. This homespun approach feels quaint now, more suited to a butter churn than broadband.
6. Microsoft’s Windows 95 Launch Video with Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry (1995)
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This 56-minute training video tried to teach new users how to use Windows 95, but with the help of sitcom banter and cringey jokes from the Friends stars. The pacing was awkward, the humor dated even for the time, and it blurred the line between a commercial and a blooper reel. Today’s consumers would click away in seconds.
7. Tandy Computers: “Dad’s a Hero” (1984)
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In this RadioShack ad, a child praises his dad as a hero for buying a Tandy computer, as if the machine single-handedly elevated their family status. The overemphasis on patriarchal decision-making and dated gender roles makes it feel like a time capsule best left sealed. It leaned hard into sentimentality without actually showing what the tech did.
8. IBM’s “Solutions for a Small Planet” Ads (Mid-1990s)
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These ads showed scenes from around the world while a voiceover vaguely claimed IBM could “solve” everything from education gaps to environmental problems with tech. The ad gave few specifics and relied on corporate grandeur. Today’s viewers demand clarity, not abstract promises wrapped in soft focus.
9. Palm m500 Series: “So Thin It’ll Slide Into Your Pocket… and Your Life” (2001)
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This PDA ad tried to be seductive, comparing the device’s sleekness to a seductive partner. It leaned into oddly sensual language and imagery to sell a device meant for scheduling appointments. That mix of personal intimacy and dry tech utility would never fly with today’s more sensitive and privacy-conscious consumers.
10. Packard Bell: “Would You Let Your Child Play in This Room?” (1996)
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This ad featured a dark, cold, industrial-looking room to represent the “typical PC experience,” contrasting it with a cozy, bright Packard Bell-equipped home. The fear-based messaging feels manipulative in hindsight. Parents today wouldn’t respond well to ads that shame rather than educate.
11. CueCat: “Get Ready to Scan Your Life” (2000)
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This bizarre campaign pitched the CueCat, a barcode scanner meant to let users scan magazine codes to visit websites. The ads suggested a seamless digital future, but the tech was invasive and useless. Its surveillance overtones and the awkward cat-shaped device itself would raise privacy red flags instantly now.
12. America Online: “You’ve Got Mail… And 1000 Free Hours!” (1999)
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AOL blanketed TV, radio, and even cereal boxes with offers for “1000 free hours,” making online time feel like a rare, precious commodity. The ad style was loud, overly enthusiastic, and framed the internet as a magical realm of chat rooms and fun. In today’s always-online world, this pitch would come across as archaic and overpromising.
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