The automobile was a startling novelty in the first decades of the twentieth century. Would the smoke-belching, dangerous contraptions become a part of American life? Riding the roads on wheels became an overnight sensation. Ads and magazine covers for the new vehicles filled the popular media and illustrated the new motor cars in all their […]
Good Clean Fun: Vintage Soap Ads
Back in the day, bath soap had only two purposes: To get the dirt off and make you beautiful. Forget today’s body washes, bath bombs and aerosols. Grab a cake and lather up. After framing, many of these vintage ads make great decorations for the bathroom. See hundreds of similar vintage magazine ads and covers […]
The Post Cereal you won’t find on your supermarket shelves.
In the late 1970s, the folks at General Foods wanted to test a new Post cereal. They came up with mini-waffle shape with lots of crunch and a sweet maple flavor. The creative group in the Los Angeles office of Ogilvy and Mather was given the assignment to come up with a name, packaging, ideas […]
Zany Trade Cards-Small ads of the late 1800s
One of the most popular forms of advertising for small businesses at the turn of the century were trade cards (small space ads). They were about half the size of today’s postcard. And they were typically a pre-printed color image on the front. The local businesses would print their own message on the blank reverse […]
Austin Briggs: His Advertising Illustrations
The artist Austin Briggs was rightly celebrated for his masterly editorial illustrations for magazines through the 1940s and 50s. His art drew the reader right into the stories with a sense of drama and anticipation, like a good movie trailer. Somewhat ignored is the advertising work he did for clients like American Airlines, General Motors […]
Artists who illustrated in the CEREAL WARS
Advertisers put illustrators to work painting adults and mostly children scarfing down all kinds of grains in all kinds of shapes. The idea of pouring milk on a bowl of cereal was a convenient and appealing answer to the problem of breakfast. Here’s some of the artists who succeeded in making it an everyday fixture […]
Arrow Shirts Suit the Well-Dressed Man – J.W. Williamson, illustrator.
James Williamson ads for Arrow Shirts appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.