20 Ads in Old Magazines That Look Absurd Now

Advertising reflects its era, and old magazine ads often reveal attitudes that no longer align with today’s norms. From promoting smoking as healthy to using wildly inappropriate slogans, these ads can be jaw-dropping by modern standards. Their humor is unintentional, their messaging outdated, and their logic often baffling. Looking back at these moments helps us understand how far marketing and society has come.

1. 1. Cigarette Ads Featuring Doctors

In the 1940s and 1950s, cigarette companies regularly used doctors to promote their brands. These ads often claimed certain cigarette brands were less irritating or even good for your throat. One popular campaign even quoted physicians saying they preferred one cigarette over another. The visual of a doctor in a white coat recommending a pack of smokes is deeply unsettling now. It’s a bizarre clash between authority and harmful habit.

2. 2. Babies and Cola

Some soft drink companies went as far as to suggest giving cola to babies. One ad boasted how starting babies early on soda could improve their popularity later in life. Another even included a photo of a smiling infant with a bottle of cola. Health professionals today would be horrified by such advice. It’s an unbelievable example of misguided marketing.

3. 3. Soap and Sex Appeal

Soap ads from the 1930s and 40s often claimed their product could help women find a husband. These ads implied that cleanliness was directly tied to romantic success. They framed feminine hygiene as the secret to a man’s affection. The message was subtle but clear; if you’re single, blame your soap. It reflects a time when a woman’s value was often linked to her marital status.

4. 4. Radium in Everything

Before the dangers of radiation were well understood, radium was marketed as a miracle ingredient. You could find it in water, toothpaste, and even beauty creams. These ads touted radium as energizing and health-boosting. One ad even promised glowing skin — literally. Looking back, it’s shocking how radioactive material was once a selling point.

5. 5. Lucky Strike and Weight Loss

Cigarette ads weren’t just about being cool; they were also pitched as weight loss aids. Lucky Strike famously promoted the idea of “reaching for a Lucky instead of a sweet.” The ads implied that smoking was a smart alternative to eating. Weight control through smoking seems absurd and deeply unhealthy by today’s standards. It’s a prime example of manipulative advertising.

6. 6. Jell-O for Every Meal

Old Jell-O ads went to extreme lengths to promote the product as a main course. Recipes featured Jell-O with vegetables, meats, and even fish inside. These savory gelatin dishes were touted as modern and convenient. Today, these recipes are often seen as unappetizing and strange. The visuals alone are enough to make you question culinary trends of the past.

7. 7. Typewriters for Better Parenting

One ad claimed that giving your child a typewriter would make them more disciplined and responsible. It positioned the typewriter as a key tool for child development. The idea was that typing would prevent mischief and encourage good habits. It sounds more like a marketing stretch than a parenting breakthrough. Today, it feels more like satire than advice.

8. 8. Deodorant Shame Tactics

Vintage deodorant ads often relied on emotional manipulation to sell their product. They depicted women being excluded or judged for body odor. One famous ad asked, “Are you unpopular because you perspire?” These ads didn’t just sell hygiene; they sold fear. It’s a clear example of early guilt-driven marketing.

9. 9. Ads for Vibrators as Household Appliances

In the early 1900s, vibrators were marketed as medical devices or beauty tools. Ads featured them alongside irons and mixers as everyday items. They were advertised for “relaxation” or “circulation,” with very vague descriptions. While the subtext is now obvious, it was much less direct back then. It’s one of the more unintentionally hilarious moments in advertising history.

10. 10. Cocaine in Toothache Remedies

Before regulations, some ads promoted products containing cocaine as solutions for toothaches. These remedies were even marketed for children. The ads praised how quickly the pain disappeared, thanks to the “magic” ingredient. Today, the idea of giving a child a drug-laced medicine is unthinkable. It’s a chilling reminder of early pharmaceutical advertising.

11. 11. Beauty Creams for Skin Bleaching

Ads promoting skin lightening were incredibly common and widely accepted. They implied that lighter skin was more desirable or professional. Some ads even featured before-and-after images with degrading captions. These messages are now criticized for their racial and cultural insensitivity. The legacy of such advertising still affects beauty standards today.

12. 12. Women Can’t Drive Without Makeup

A 1950s ad for a car included the suggestion that women wouldn’t be ready to drive unless their makeup was perfect. It combined auto marketing with beauty pressure in a single spread. The assumption was that a woman’s appearance mattered more than her driving skills. It was both sexist and shallow. Modern ads would never make such a claim without backlash.

13. 13. Hair Tonic as a Life Changer

Hair tonic companies promised that using their product would turn men into success stories. One ad linked a full head of hair to career promotions and romantic interest. The logic was: no hair, no hope. These claims were based more on fantasy than science. Today, they sound more like parody than persuasion.

14. 14. Corporal Punishment Endorsed by Products

Some old ads used spanking as a metaphor or joke to sell household goods. One example showed a child being spanked for not using a specific soap brand. It’s both disturbing and outdated. The normalization of physical punishment as a humorous selling point no longer holds. Such messaging would never pass in modern campaigns.

15. 15. Vacuum Cleaners and Gender Roles

Many vacuum cleaner ads targeted women, suggesting that cleaning was their duty. Some even featured taglines suggesting that a new vacuum was the perfect gift — for her, of course. They played into stereotypes of women being house-proud and men being clueless. These messages reinforced rigid gender roles. Fortunately, advertising has come a long way.

16. 16. Laxatives as Daily Essentials

Some ads promoted daily laxative use as part of a “healthy lifestyle.” Brands claimed you weren’t truly clean or fit without a regular cleanse. They often used diagrams to sell the idea of internal buildup. The result was a public that was almost addicted to these products. Health advice today paints a very different picture.

17. 17. Ads Featuring Animal Cruelty

Vintage fur and circus ads sometimes showed animals in distressing or unnatural poses. They used these visuals as eye-catching gimmicks. Back then, ethical concerns weren’t part of the marketing equation. Today, these ads are viewed as shocking and inappropriate. Public awareness has thankfully shifted.

18. 18. Weight Gain Products for Women

Not all vintage body image ads were about slimming down. Some encouraged women to gain weight to look more “voluptuous.” Products claimed to add curves and fix “thinness,” which was seen as unattractive. The pressure was still present, just in the opposite direction. Body trends were used as tools for selling either way.

19. 19. Airline Stewardess Objectification

Airline ads in the ’60s and ’70s often focused on the appearance of female flight attendants. Phrases like “fly me” and images of revealing uniforms were common. These ads didn’t highlight service or safety but rather attractiveness. They reduced professional women to visual props. Today, that approach would face intense criticism.

20. 20. Smoking for Better Concentration

Some cigarette brands advertised improved focus and calmness as a benefit. They claimed smoking helped with concentration during exams or office work. These ads appeared in college magazines and professional journals. The idea of using cigarettes as brain boosters is laughable now. It’s a startling misrepresentation of health risks.

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• old magazines
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