Advertising
Follies of the Mad Men #190
Yeah, the first thing I think of when I get thirsty for booze is "Froggy Went a-Courtin'" and sexy swimsuit frogs.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 24, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Products, 1940s, Alcohol
Wolverine Soap
Even before a certain blade-wielding comicbook character pre-empted the name of "Wolverine," could it possibly have been a good idea to name your product after a vicious, pint-sized killer beast?
"Wolverine Soap--it will rip the dirt off your skin, and your skin with it!"
No wonder the pitchman in the ad below is working so hard to find sales reps.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 21, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Products, Death, Destruction, Hygiene, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods, 1920s
Follies of the Mad Men #189
Ad campaign voted most likely to result in scatological jokes.
Also: see the "person" in the
Plainly, this is a encoded warning against aliens among us!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 18, 2012 -
Comments (15)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Costumes and Masks, Inebriation and Intoxicants, Excrement, 1950s, Alcohol
Follies of the Mad Men #188
Subtext: our arcane, byzantine loan policies are as horrifying and deadly as this nausea-inducing hybrid nightmare creature we chose as our new mascot.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 31, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Business, Advertising, Products, Money, Fictional Monsters
Hamm’s Beer
Although Hamm's is still around, this goofy ad campaign is lamentably vanished. Learn more here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 22, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Products, 1950s, Alcohol
Crippled Children
[Click to enlarge]
Sometime we forgot how much civilization has advanced in 90 years. What was common becomes weird.
Of course, at my age I still recall childhood polio as a danger.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 13, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Body, Feet, Medicine, Advertising, Children, 1920s
If typists were robots, what would they type?
"To Serve Humanity" was the first title that came to mind. Any other possibilities?
The robot in the ad was a 1930s-era model that went by a number of names including Mary Ann, The Roboter, Alpha, and Astra. Read more about her here.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 11, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Robots, Advertising
Uncle Sam Toiletries
I suppose if the USA could fall for hokum like Crocodile Dundee, then Aussies could fall for this line of "American" products.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 10, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Stereotypes and Cliches, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods, Hair Styling, 1970s, Australia
Spokesbeings Gone Wild
Once upon a time, the Schenley Whiskey Rooster was mild and refined.
Then he turned into some kind of manic, drunken, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride hype machine.
Can readers name any other product mascot that went through a similar transformation over the years?
I'll start with the White Rock Girl, who, by the time the ad below appeared, had gone from Walden-Pond-style meditation to picking up strange men in trains.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Aug 09, 2012 -
Comments (5)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Business, Advertising, Products, Public Indecency, 1940s
Follies of the Mad Men #187
If Zu Zu were witnessed offering cookies to a child today, he'd be in the sniperscopes of a SWAT team's rifles faster than a cocaine-covered bank robber.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 03, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Clowns, Food, 1900s
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |