Sex sells PEZ. A visual survey of the "PEZgirl," as used in PEZ advertising. Slightly NSFW, as one image at the bottom of the page shows bare breasts. That's right, PEZ ran topless advertisements. [more inside]
posted by OmieWise on Dec 10, 2009 - 28 comments

Clever ads on the sides of city busses. That is all.
posted by maryh on Mar 9, 2009 - 44 comments

Joe Sedelmaier showed us where the beef is, and in doing so, revolutionized television advertising (aside from spawning a Clara Peller 7" and influencing the 1984 US elections). Here are some of Sedelmaier's greatest moments: Wendy's: Soviet Fashion Show | "Parts is Parts" • FedEx: "You can't count on anything these days!" | The Classic Speed Talker (John Moschitta, previously) • Pearson's Salted Nut Roll (with Godwin effect) • Fibreglas Pink (Canada) • Kaypro Computers • Alaska Airlines • Clara Peller in Jartran Truck Rental • Hayworth Furniture Systems • GMAC Financing • And for those missing individually, Youtuber jerry7242 has posted a reel of 30 minutes' worth of Joe Sedelmaier's commercials in four parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (#4 includes an interview with Joe Sedelmaier) Enjoy! [more inside]
posted by not_on_display on Feb 9, 2009 - 8 comments

Just imagine! Coming Super-Attractions features vintage DC comics in-house advertisements spanning the decades. Enjoy!
posted by kimota on Jan 13, 2009 - 4 comments

In a series of sixteen advertisements screened in Japan, Tommy Lee Jones plays extraterrestrial 'Alien Jones', who has taken the form of a man to check on the world of humans, all the while drinking a Japanese brand of coffee named BOSS. I have no idea how Tommy Lee Jones got talked into doing these advertisements, or why. And after watching them for yourself (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), you probably won't either.
posted by Effigy2000 on Nov 23, 2008 - 85 comments

Where creative juices come from. Now that you're in the mood, let's get down to some great new creative stuff! What is likely to be ripped off on College Humor next week! Learn how to interrogate a lemon! Previous creative goodness...
posted by parmanparman on Jul 5, 2008 - 12 comments

Once upon a time, movies were made that parodied broadcast television, advertisements and all. I knew there weren't many, but really, this was all I could find: The Groove Tube Tunnelvision Kentucky Fried Movie UHF Amazon Women on the Moon (Links are to YouTube trailers of variable quality) [more inside]
posted by hexatron on Jun 11, 2008 - 53 comments

Duke University has three image collections of old U.S. and Canadian advertisements. Ad*Access a database of over 7000 print ads from 1911 to 1956. Emergence of Advertising in America has 9000 images of ads from 1850-1920. Medicine and Madison Avenue has 600 medical ads and documents from 1911 to 1958. You can browse the collections by product, company, subject, year and categories or you can use the search function. Here are some of my favorites: Miss Clairol, They're Both in the Swim Today, Fancy Goods and Toy Bazaar, Sky Blue Pink, SAS Makes Airline History, A Montgomery Ward Hat that Becomes Nearly Every Woman, Radiant Peony and Hitler's Death Warrant.
posted by Kattullus on Apr 14, 2008 - 11 comments

Absolutely horrifying, not for the squeamish, you've been warned Canadian public service announcements. Also, the only slightly less gory German educational film "Forklift driver Klaus". An unaired and disturbingly violent Canadian PSA on domestic violence. Graphically violent Irish PSAs warning against speeding, terrorism and Harry Chapin. A French Canadian worker slowly and gruesomely loses his arm. An Australian PSA featuring a blood-covered baby. Finally, an essay (with linked video examples) by a marketing consultant on "Turn-off Tactics" in public service advertisements.
posted by orthogonality on Apr 14, 2008 - 65 comments

Back in the day when... Mens fashion wasn't cutting it, modern Kiwi males welcomed in Stubbies ... Depth charges were the best because you always soaked Teresa McKee...You were there, and so was L & P. World famous in new Zealand since ages ago.
posted by clearly on May 27, 2007 - 30 comments

All the ads for Hulett Environmental Services have three things in common: bizarre themes, comically low production values, and an all-dwarf cast. For 17 years, diminutive brothers Greg & John Rice have written, produced & starred in a number of insane spots for their pest control company. My personal favorite is this Star Trek themed one, but really they're all pretty awesome.
posted by jonson on May 16, 2007 - 15 comments

Thailand has some sad insurance commercials. [via]
posted by Sticherbeast on Mar 30, 2007 - 31 comments

Foshata! Write your own English subtitles to Japanese commercials.
posted by monju_bosatsu on Feb 28, 2006 - 8 comments

Kruschen Salts and Camus' Stranger: "A bit later, for want of anything better to do, I (Mersault) picked up an old newspaper that was lying on the floor and read it. There was an advertisement of Kruschen Salts and I cut it out and pasted it into an album where I keep things that amuse me in the papers." Dave Till has collected some other advertisements that Meursault might like.
posted by eighth_excerpt on Feb 20, 2006 - 7 comments

“Poor Lois, See How Old She's Growing! Too bad she’s doesn't try to remain the girl her husband fell in love with. The change is so gradual you never see it but your friends do."

Vintage Beauty Adverts at Duke University's Rare Book and Manuscript Collection.
posted by sourbrew on Jan 30, 2006 - 43 comments

Vern Fonk wants to sell you insurance. Seattlites have been enjoying his quirky late night TV advertisements for years. This latest one had me spitting chardonnay out my nose [embedded video].
posted by Slarty Bartfast on Jan 18, 2006 - 36 comments

Got Beer? Which came first, the Stella Artois or the Ostrich? Does this makes sense after I drink a few Stellas?
posted by spicynuts on Jun 30, 2005 - 30 comments

The London Underground is home to some of the most interesting, weird and fun adverts, which have been tailored to the fact that they have huge posters that passengers are often looking at for minutes at a time while waiting. In Copywriting goes Underground, they challenged ad agencies to write an ad which had at least 50 words in it. Some are crap, but some are pretty innovative - check them out.
posted by adrianhon on Jun 21, 2005 - 15 comments

For the Love of Retro...

Early 1900's advertisements, 70's decor,
computers, unisex haircuts &c
[via] retro-MeFi
posted by peacay on May 20, 2005 - 10 comments

adflip - "world's largest archive of classic print ads"
posted by Gyan on Apr 15, 2005 - 15 comments

The Japanese Gallery of Psychiatric Art. Images from Japanese psychiatric medication advertisements: 1956-2003 (via Absent without leave)
posted by matteo on Mar 9, 2005 - 14 comments

Kanahakkliha! QT (mirror)
posted by Tlogmer on Feb 11, 2005 - 16 comments

It's Australia Day! Some of the highlights this year include someone not a sportsperson being chosen as Australian of the Year and of course the Sam Kekovich lamb advertisments with such classic lines as "you long haired dole bludging types are indulging their pierced taste buds" and "the soap avoiding pot smoking hippie vegetarians may disagree with me but they can get stuffed".
posted by Talez on Jan 25, 2005 - 20 comments

Moveon ads aren't the only things the networks won't allow , Miller has had beer ads pulled after Anheuser-Busch complained that the ads "went beyond the substantiation and communicated taste superiority and/or preference." So the ads were pulled. Oddly enough, AB is the company consumers demanded stop their current ad campaign.
posted by drezdn on Dec 22, 2004 - 17 comments

The Evolution of Manufacturing is a collection of New York Times articles, providing a historical perspective on manufacturing operations in the U.S. The collection consists of 12 articles published between 1909 and 2000. It includes an article by Henry Ford himself, and an article by Thomas Edison based on his interview of Henry Ford. Interestingly, the collection is an advertisement for Peoplesoft.
posted by tuxster on Dec 21, 2004 - 6 comments

The United Church of Christ seeks to welcome all people, regardless of ability, age, race, economic circumstance or sexual orientation. But that message, when shown in a TV advertisement is apparently too controversial for CBS and NBC.
posted by bashos_frog on Dec 1, 2004 - 136 comments

Cocoon. Rainbows. Diorama. Grass. Karaoke. Wedding. Dave. Apparently these are all ads for NEC. How they're promoting something, and what that something is, I haven't a clue. But they made me laugh. {movs, I think. via News Today}
posted by dobbs on Nov 7, 2004 - 7 comments

Specs spots are commericals shot by people who hope that they'll be considered for shooting real commercials. Because they are vying for attention, some of them can be pretty outrageous. This site allows you to rank them ala hotornot mode.

My personal favorite pertains to that "make a wish" ritual around blowing out birthday candles.
What are your favorites? (Spots themselves are Quicktime links)
posted by jasper411 on Aug 10, 2004 - 10 comments

Joshua Green wrote an interesting and insightful piece regarding the current state of political advertisements. Here is an example of an ad by a media consultant he refers to, based in Pittsburgh. Another spin here. I've often wondered why they're so predictable. The Atlantic gives us a glimpse into poly. ad history and, quite possibly, its future.
posted by BlueTrain on Jul 6, 2004 - 8 comments

Google To Start Selling Banner Adverts From the that-didn't-take-too-long-department, Google's ad sales VP Tim Armstrong says Google will now start selling graphical banner adverts. One concession to their old mores is that, for now, the banner adverts will only appear on affiliated websites running their AdSense referral program (as does MeFi), and there is an opt-out. However... "We have no plans to show images on Google.com", said Mr. Armstrong "but we are not opposed to it".
posted by meehawl on May 12, 2004 - 27 comments

Follow the Sun: Australian Travel Posters 1930s - 1960s.
posted by hama7 on Mar 28, 2004 - 7 comments

Toy Ads. Nostalgic for that old Hot Wheels tune up tower you never received as child? Can't recall the name of that one eyed doll your weird aunt gave you for your birthday? Toyadz.com has all the ads that made you drool when you were nine.
posted by Joey Michaels on Jan 1, 2004 - 8 comments

A great PETA ad ...for me to poop on! Amusing recent campaign featuring Triumph the Insult Dog to promote spaying/neutering that is catching heat for a subtle Clay Aiken jab.
posted by mathowie on Nov 20, 2003 - 37 comments

CocoWeb (trans) is a project which has assembled 516 manifestations of the Bogeyman in Latin America. The list includes the well-known Coco or Cucuy, a dark figure who makes an appearance in the art world as the subject of one of Goya's Caprichos. Any Hispanic child can tell you about La Llorona, a grieving woman who walks in the night (familiar enough to be used in a controversial got milk? ad). In South America they can tell you about the Sack-Man, on of the original bogeymen, who walks in the darkness, looking for children to throw into his sack.
posted by vacapinta on Oct 31, 2003 - 4 comments

Video game commercials from Japan, USA and Europe.
posted by Slimemonster on Oct 21, 2003 - 9 comments

Sex for Money, Money having Sex? Ban on Russian ads depicting euro having sex with dollar. Immoral or are they just dancing?
posted by kodas on Sep 24, 2003 - 14 comments

Channel 118. The 118118 experience. [possibly nsfw]
posted by ginz on Aug 6, 2003 - 14 comments

Bell System Memorial. State approved, centrally planned and controlled: no, not this, the old Bell System. Don't miss the photos (including the first car phone!) and ads (sometimes ironic). Offsite: the affiliated Telephone Tribute, a few old Bell ads from the Prelinger archives, and an entertaining US telephony history from Bruce Sterling's famous Hacker Crackdown.
posted by tss on Mar 30, 2003 - 4 comments

Graphic Design from the 1920s and 1930s in Travel Ephemera . Amazing collection of posters, road maps, steamship and airline timetables, (more timetables here), post cards, luggage labels (more labels here and here), brochures and more. Seeing this stuff makes me wish I had been born seventy-five years earlier (and with an obscene amount of money.) (Warning: the site is seriously painful to look at, but the content's good. Link via Coudal.)
posted by Vidiot on Mar 19, 2003 - 10 comments

There's more than one way to skin swing a cat: Add the new Puma ads and upstanding PETA feminists have their work cut out for them. [vid.avi download thing; via Boing Boing.].
posted by Carlos Quevedo on Mar 11, 2003 - 39 comments

Kodak, in an effort to alienate move goers everywhere, will introduce technology that could replace pre-movie, slide based still advertisements with full motion video and other digital media ads (and "other entertainment").
posted by alan on Mar 6, 2003 - 43 comments

Dude, You're Under Arrest Ben "Dell Dude" Curtis, was arrested in New York last night on charges of criminal possession of marijuana. Thanks to The Smoking Gun we now have something to make us laugh on a Monday.
posted by mkelley on Feb 10, 2003 - 34 comments

Freedomads.org is sponsoring a contest that challenges visitors to create video, print, or audio ads that "inspire people with an advertisement for freedom." How would you sell freedom?
posted by pjdoland on Jan 28, 2003 - 22 comments

Solemates: The Century in Shoes is the most ridiculously well developed site on shoes I have ever seen. Journey through the decades with advertisements, movie clips, well-researched history, and most importantly -- 360 degree Quicktime views of shoes. How many shoes have you collected over the years? Do you still wear them? Why do women have to buy so many anyway? Are you more concerned with comfort or style now? Of course, I'm still saving up to buy some of those Fish Tank platform shoes from I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.
posted by Stan Chin on Jan 24, 2003 - 12 comments

Beyond petroleum? British Petroleum’s recent $200-million makeover into sunny-logoed bp seems to respond to mounting concerns over pollution, global warming, and wars for oil. By advocating alternatives to the very product that has made it the world’s seventh-largest company, it also seems like economic suicide. In accordance with their environmental goals, they've helped release bald eagles in Manhattan and bring solar power to rural Tibet, but many remain unconvinced. Each bp ad ended with the same tagline: “It’s a start.” Is it?
posted by gottabefunky on Dec 19, 2002 - 31 comments

French McDonald's ads: Don't 'abuse fast food' - McDonald's France runs ads suggesting that children not eat its food more than once a week.
posted by stevengarrity on Oct 31, 2002 - 32 comments

So Exactly Why Doesn't Nicole Kidman Want This Commercial To Be Shown In The U.S.? Here in Portugal, for instance, you can't blink without seeing the ruddy thing. Movie stars increasingly have a very profitable but extremely embarrassing advertising life which they're understandbly keen to keep secret from the American market. Wonderful websites like Japander (do check out Jodie Foster's endorsements of the Honda Civic Ferio and Keri Cosmetics, won't you?) conspire to keep them deservedly humble. So why does this double standard exist? Do these movie stars really think that globalization (not to mention the Internet) is just a myth?
posted by MiguelCardoso on Oct 5, 2002 - 31 comments

Few Advertisers Use Pop-Ups (or do they?) "Though they seem to be everywhere on the Internet, pop-up advertisements are used by less than 10 percent of all companies that advertise online, according to a report from Nielsen//NetRatings." Do you buy this? Is this industry propaganda or a true description of what is out there? The sites I visit regularly all seem to have pop-ups (e.g. nytimes, espn, slate, theatlantic.com). For the last 1 month or so, ESPN seems to launch two pop-ups when I first visit them, in fact. What has your experience been?
posted by SandeepKrishnamurthy on Sep 16, 2002 - 28 comments

Get paid for living. Get paid up to £800 or $1270 for having a unique, non-permanent advertisement tattooed on your body using Timed Tattoo Technology ™. Join here. (or not...)
posted by ColdChef on Aug 5, 2002 - 33 comments

Steven. Steven. Steven. I can't get enough of this incredibly-cute-but-I-don't-normally-go-for-such-obvious-twinkiness pitchperson for Dell Computers. Apparently, neither can anyone else, as Steven (or more properly, actor Ben Curtis) has been Dell's most successful advertising, uh, tool ever. Why do we love him? His Bill'n'Ted vocabulary? His toothy grin? Whatever the reason, at least now I no longer have to glue myself to the television to watch his latest commercial overandoverandoverand Dude, I'll get a Dell if you deliver it to me personally. So to speak. Is it wrong to love a fictional character so much? Is there a support group? Any other MeFites have a strange attraction going on here? I can't be the only one, can I?
posted by WolfDaddy on Jul 9, 2002 - 66 comments