When Copywriters Tried Harder

Before Photoshop turned every hack with a computer into an "art director," Copy was King.

1. 1944.

Via library.duke.edu

This was just brilliant.

2. 1933.

Via Flickr: jbcurio

Spud's tagline through the 1930s.
"Mouth-Happying" was going on that weekend, alright.

3. 1950s — 1960s.

Via ebay.com

Lucky Strike's long-standing standard copy line.

4. 1900.

Via copyranter.blogspot.com

The best 113-year-old visual pun ever.

5. 1966.

Via copyranter.blogspot.com

How do you try to get surfers to stop smoking, and therefore, everybody else (because everybody else did whatever the surfers did)?
You use terms like "Hodad" and "cut-buddy" and use the universal selling point of saving cash.
And, put a hot blonde in there.
Art by the late great Frank Frazetta.

6. 1908.

Via vintage-ads.livejournal.com

Scared the living shit out of clerks everywhere, I'm sure, and insured Kellogg's would always be on store shelves. Smart.
The crunching sound the clerk's head made was quite similar to the sound of eating corn flakes.

7. !951.

Via tobacco.stanford.edu

Post World War II, Marlboro did a whole series of these baby talk ads.
See them all here here.

8. 1960s.

Via graphisutra.com

Sure the visuals are cool, but it's the copy concept of making up band names and song titles as body copy that makes these ads groovy.

9. 1968.

Via animalnewyork.com

This is, of course, still...
THE BEST PUN IN ADVERTISING HISTORY.