retro ads

Debt Junkies, Have A Cup Of Instant Money!

Debt Junkies, Have A Cup Of Instant Money!

This curious 1960’s ad for a Bank of America personal loan portrays needy borrowers as jerky junkies twitching for a fix. Thankfully, BofA has a storehouse of jars of “instant” money (that operate suspiciously like a cup of cappuccino) that is the balm for your frayed nerves. [More]

How About A Tasty Crude Oil Salad From Shell?

How About A Tasty Crude Oil Salad From Shell?

Before we had slick and savvy advertising campaigns like the Singimals and the Sticky-Bottomed-Bears, Madison Avenue pumped out some truly demented shlock like Shell’s “oil salad” one-pager from the December 22, 1947 issue of Life. Yummy! Serve me up a salad of asphalt! [More]

Samsonite Files For Bankruptcy

Samsonite Files For Bankruptcy

Yesterday, a gorilla* stormed through the offices of Samsonite Corp, the “world’s top luggage maker,” and jumped up and down on their financial status. Their retail unit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close approximately half of their 173 stores.