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Category: Advertising

Follies of the Mad Men #45

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[From Life magazine for September 30 1940.]

What kind of kids would a shellfish and a bottle have, and how would they go about reproducing?
Posted By: Paul | Date: Wed Nov 19, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Inebriation and Intoxicants, Foreign Customs, 1940's

Follies of the Mad Men #44

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[From Life magazine for September 30 1940.]

Either a 20th-century man's shoe has been transported through time back to pre-Columbian America, confounding the primitive redksins, or else some 20th-century Native Americans on some especially traditional and cloistered reservation somewhere are incredibly ignorant.

Or, some Madison Avenue genius thought this was brilliant.
Posted By: Paul | Date: Mon Nov 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Fashion, Shoes, Anthropology, 1940's, Time-travel, Native Americans

The Faces in the Broccoli

Cascadian Farm sells frozen organic broccoli florets. That's not particularly unusual.



But look closer. Can you see the tiny disembodied heads floating amidst the broccoli bits?




When contacted about it, Cascadian Farms offered this reply:
The tradition of hiding names or faces on Cascadian Farm packaging began over a dozen years ago. It was unspoken tribute by the package design department to the friends & family of Cascadian Farm. The faces won’t be included on our redesigned packaging.
Posted By: Alex | Date: Mon Nov 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (17)
Category: Food, Advertising

Follies of the Mad Men #43

This appears to be an ad for a brand of French chewing gum. I'm not sure if the notion of a pair of used panties from the Statue of Liberty is adequate enticement to chew the company's product.


Giantess Statue Of Liberty
Uploaded by Avrillove
Posted By: Paul | Date: Wed Nov 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (14)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Statues, Monuments and Memorials

Follies of the Mad Men #42

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[From Fortune magazine for December 1936.]

Yet another "disease" that Madison Avenue tried to foist upon the public.
Posted By: Paul | Date: Mon Nov 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Furniture, 1930's, Disease

Baby Laugh-a-Lot

Could this commercial have been the inspiration for The Exorcist?

Posted By: Alex | Date: Fri Nov 07, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (14)
Category: Babies, Video, Advertising

Man with Giant Penis Head Commercials

Once again we must ask: "Who knows what the French are thinking?"

I assume these videos (three more after the jump) are some kind of public-service announcements. Anti-AIDS...? But where are any condom references?


Dick Boite De Nuit
by PeteRock




More >>
Posted By: Paul | Date: Thu Nov 06, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (10)
Category: Advertising, Foreign Customs, Genitals

Cheerios and V-8

I love Cheerios, and can tolerate V-8. But there's no way I could imagine eating a spoonful of Cheerios and then swallowing a gulp of V-8 immediately after the sweet milky mouthful.

Posted By: Paul | Date: Thu Oct 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (27)
Category: Business, Advertising, Food, Toys, Children, Space Travel, 1960's

Follies of the Mad Men #41

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[From Playboy magazine for June 1974.]

"Let's take a screeching unfunny harridan, dress her in Colonial drag, then simulate a hideous war wound using our product as a makeshift sling. Then, let's run the ad in a magazine filled with beautiful naked women for contrast."
Posted By: Paul | Date: Wed Oct 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (39)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Entertainment, Fashion, 1970's, Comedians

The Academy of Mystic Arts

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[From Amazing Science Fiction magazine for August 1973.]

The "Academy for Mystic Arts" which sponsored this ad seems no longer to exist, although there are other, newer organizations with that name. The original Academy has left very few traces behind on the internet, although one lead seems to point to a connection with the famed astrologer named Zolar.

I love the testimony at the end about how relations with the boyfriend have improved. Well, of course they have--you put a zombie spell on him!

Posted By: Paul | Date: Mon Oct 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (17)
Category: New Age, Paranormal, Advertising, 1970's
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All original content in posts is Copyright © 2008 by the author of the post, either Alex Boese ("Alex"), Paul Di Filippo ("Paul"), or Chuck Shepherd ("Chuck"). All rights reserved. The banner illustration at the top of this page is Copyright © 2008 by Rick Altergott.