#Sony – 1980s
#The Sony Walkman was highly popular in the ’80s and ’90s. This ad captures the decade perfectly. You can see the clothing styles, roller skates, and portable cassette player, but the hairstyle makes it perfect.
#Bell and Howell Projector – 1950s
#Below, you can see another example of how companies tried promoting products with appeal and women’s bodies. The main focus here is Sabrina’s chest. We’re not sure what it has to do with the color slide projector!
#Plymouth – 1940s
#One significant difference between ads then and now is the amount of text included in each one. Who has time to read all of that information while they’re glancing at the paper or magazine? It’s mind-boggling!
#Out Of The Closet Inc – 1970s
#While we give credit to the brand for trying to normalize LGBTQ+ in those difficult times, this doll is highly offensive by today’s standards. “Gay Bob” was marketed as the first gay doll for everyone. It seems nice initially, but it’s highly problematic!
#Radio Shack – 1970s
#Radio Shack used to be the one-stop shop to buy the best technological products on the market at the time. However, Best Buy and other large corporations crushed it, causing it to declare bankruptcy multiple times before it went out of business.
#McDonald’s – 1970s
#At the time (in the ’70s), McDonald’s was probably trying to be inclusive to African Americans. However, an advertisement like that couldn’t fly today because of the many racial stereotypes. It’s just unacceptable!
#Larsen Company – 1949
#There’s nothing culturally offensive to see here, but it’s very unappealing. Who wants to buy five vegetables in one can?! It’s hard to believe the brand sold any of them, and this idea wouldn’t fly today.
#Schlitz Beer – 1950s
#Here’s another advert from Schlitz Beer. You see a young wife who is upset because she burnt dinner. However, her husband “comforts” her by saying it’s okay because she didn’t burn the beer. How rude!
#Western Electric – 1950s
#It’s interesting to see the type of phone Western Electric thought would be in the future. It wasn’t far off, but the brand still couldn’t think of the cordless phone that early. Is the person who created the ad alive today? What do they think about smartphones?!
#Martini & Rossi – 1960s
#We’re not sure what’s happening in this advert. The brand seems to be comparing the woman in the cage to its products. Maybe a man could trap a woman in the cage after plying her with alcohol? Regardless, it’s not a good ad!
#Honda – 1970s
#It’s unbelievable that an ad like that was ever approved or created. What does Honda mean by “a woman’s car?” We aren’t sure, but then it goes further by saying that women don’t understand them. Overall, it’s based solely on gender and was pretty offensive!
#7-Up – 1950s
#This type of ad could never run today. The advert for 7-Up shows a baby drinking soda. That’s highly unhealthy and could lead to stomach problems and issues later in life. It’s pretty wild to imagine that soda-makers marketed their beverages to kids!
#Texaco – 1943
#Texaco imagined a world where kids had to ask who Hitler was because he was no longer part of their daily lives. At the time, he was committing genocide. It showed solidarity and hope for the future!
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