Advertising has always reflected the times, for better or worse. While today’s campaigns are carefully scrutinized, there was a time when no one blinked an eye at blatant sexism, questionable health advice, or just plain bizarre messaging. This list dives into 28 vintage ads that seriously crossed the line, from suggesting sugar for a healthy lifestyle to implying women’s only job was to serve men. Some are unintentionally hilarious, others are jaw-dropping, and all of them show just how much our standards (thankfully) have changed.
Was sugar healthy?
So basically, you had to have sugar to lose weight because it made you eat less.
Skinny legends were not skinny
Ironized yeast was used to gain weight and of course advertised as a way to get a man.
Trunchbull’s favorite
Looks painful and really violent. Luckily, we’re all about gentle parenting nowadays.
People used to bleach their skin
So he only liked her because her skin was bleached.
Iran in 1979
This is what Iranian women looked like before the Islamic Revolution.
Early is too soon
Pediatricians were not consulted before making this ad.
Weirdos’ tea
There’s not much to comment about this ad other than how weird and creepy it is to mention that innocence is sexy.
Men are what?
We are only useful indoors, according to this Drummond ad, trying to sell sweaters.
Wedding what?
Apparently, back in the day, getting married was like starting to work in a cleaning company.
Creepy kitchenware
Babies in plastic bags were never socially accepted. So we don’t know how this was even allowed.
No comment
Advertising men’s pants like this seems really offensive now, but it was definitely effective back then.
Functional fashion
And here we are avoiding sleeping with our cellphones under our pillows because it’s dangerous…
Dry cig. don’t care
Looks funny and kinda extra, but it might have been helpful at some point.
Dimples to order?
Sounds painful, and it looks ridiculous.
Rubik’s craze going wild
Would you buy this really specific product? Might have been like buying expansions for The Sims, but analogical.
Sounds like a scam
Not only was it probably a scam, but it also made you look like a lighthouse.
So your breath smells like a hangover
Are they really suggesting you rinse off toothpaste with soda? How…
Interesting invention
A really good idea for small departments, but imagine their electricity bill… It might have been cheaper to rent a bigger place.
Sounds stressful
Nowadays, dogs have their own snacks and insurance. No one would ever allow this.
Hear Muffs?
They look uncomfortable and awkward.
Definitely not healthy
First of all, why would someone want a sauna down there? Secondly, they look ridiculous.
Not funny
This ad was in a 1982 yearbook. In their defense, it was before the number of school shootings in the US increased.
Awful advice
We all know this is dangerous, but how about the smell of burning chemicals? Might have been disgusting.
Pretty accurate
This ad from 1996 is, unfortunately, what’s going on nowadays.
Good product, bad message
Exactly what everyone does after getting married, cooking in your wedding dress.
Fake propaganda
Safest? Yeah sure…
Nope, it didn’t age well…
This brochure is from the year 1975, and now it has a whole different meaning.
Wrong target audience
Advertising a product for women to use, to ease the symptoms of something only women experience, but talking about a man… BIG NO.
