14 Ads From the Past That Would Never Air Today
Here's a wild walk through vintage advertisements that would cause a PR meltdown in today's world.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Ads have come a long way, and some old-school ads are shocking by today’s standards. What was once considered normal now reads as tone-deaf, offensive, or downright bizarre. These vintage relics show just how much our culture — and common sense — has evolved.
1. Tipalet Cigarette Ad
Mid-Century Press on Flickr
“Blow in her face and she’ll follow you anywhere” was the tagline. This ad marketed smoking as a way to seduce women by literally exhaling smoke into their faces.
2. Calvin Klein’s Controversial Jeans Campaign (1980s)
Raysonho on Wikimedia Commons
Brooke Shields was just 15 when she posed suggestively in jeans with the line, “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” The hypersexualized message, especially involving a minor, drew serious backlash.
3. Aunt Jemima Branding
Wikimedia Commons
This long-running brand used deeply racist imagery rooted in slavery and minstrel shows. For decades, it perpetuated harmful stereotypes under the guise of a friendly household figure.
4. Lysol as Feminine Hygiene
Erik Mclean on Pexels
Lysol was once marketed as a “feminine wash” and even as a form of birth control. That’s right — disinfectant as an intimate product.
5. Camel’s “More Doctors Smoke Camels”
Museum Rotterdam on Wikimedia Commons
This 1940s campaign claimed physicians preferred Camels over other cigarette brands. It even featured actors dressed as doctors recommending smoking.
6. Pepsi’s Racist “Eskimo” Ad
Martin Péchy on Pexels
A 1950s Pepsi print ad featured a cartoon “Eskimo” character drawn with offensive stereotypes. It mocked Indigenous culture for laughs while selling soda.
7. The Flintstones Selling Cigarettes
Joe Haupt on Wikimedia Commons
Yes, Fred and Barney lit up Winston cigarettes in commercials. Seeing beloved cartoon characters pitch tobacco to families feels surreal now.
8. Mr. Leggs Pants “Control Your Woman” Ad
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan on Unsplash
One disturbing ad shows a man dragging a woman by her hair with the tagline implying dominance through style. It promoted clothing by glorifying violence and control.
9. Budweiser’s Beer for Kids
Liv Hema on Unsplash
One ad featured a child pouring beer for dad and the tagline: “Thanks to Budweiser, my dad’s the best.” It casually normalized underage exposure to alcohol.
10. Coca-Cola’s “Thirst Knows No Season” With Santa
EasyLife Designs on Unsplash
This classic ad linked soda with a wintery, wholesome Santa — but also subtly pushed sugary drinks to children year-round. It blurred the lines between holiday cheer and health risks.
11. Palmolive’s “So Gentle, She Doesn’t Know She’s Dishwashing”
Anton Ehrola on Wikimedia Commons
This ad had a man tricking a woman into using dish soap during a manicure. It played into outdated gender roles and insulted female intelligence.
12. Volkswagen’s Dark-Humor Suicide Ad
Erik Mclean on Unsplash
One controversial VW ad showed a man preparing to take his life using a car exhaust pipe — only to fail because of the car’s eco-friendly engine. It attempted edgy humor but trivialized mental health.
13. Marlboro Man
National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution on Flickr
The rugged cowboy smoking in wide-open spaces became a masculine ideal. While iconic, it also glamorized a deadly habit that would later kill several of the ad’s models.
14. Hoover’s “Give Her a Vacuum for Christmas”
Jim on Flickr
Nothing says love like suggesting your wife would adore a vacuum for the holidays. This ad reinforced the idea that a woman’s place was in the kitchen — or at least cleaning it.