Vintage Cringe

Lola MagazineLola Shreveport

In the spirit of reflecting at times we may long for the simplicity of decades past, but this collection of vintage advertising from the mid-20th century may change your perspective.

These outrageous advertisements were socially acceptable, giving publications a taste of everyday bigotry to promote their brands.

Yes, it was certainly a different time back then. Women were primarily homemakers, men worked outside the home, cocktails were an all-day affair and tobacco wasn’t known to be harmful. A time when political correctness wasn’t a concern, these promotions are cringeworthy at best.

As jaw dropping as these vintage ads are today, if the advertisements did their job and moved product, companies would keep pushing the envelope as far as they could. Things have thankfully evolved since the mid-20th century, but wow, these images are still shocking and even a bit comical.

We are definitely far from equality bliss, but these vintage ads are a window into the past, leaving us grateful the dark ages of mid-century marketing are behind us. How far we have come!