It’s amazing to think that these samples of old advertising portrayed doctors recommending smoking and tapeworms to lose weight, or implying that women were expected to exclusively be wives, mothers and home-makers.

As you review the sample print ads shown below, you may find yourself thinking how far we’ve progressed as a society, and you would certainly be right. It’s amazing when one notes how much has changed in such a relatively short period of time, not only in the messages within the ads but also in the production techniques used. Some of these early ads were created for letterpress and rotogravure printing processes. It’s only been since the 1990’s that the majority of ads are produced for offset printing on desktop computers.

Perhaps my favorite is the cigarette headline: “Blow in her face and she’ll follow you anywhere.” (shown below.) I mean REALLY, did those early ad guys (and they were all guys) really believe this would work?

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This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising, graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering, Now what do we do?” We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.