Ads Gone Mad

Mad Men is back on August 16th and in honour of the show we love so much, we dug up some rather dated commercials that were made during the time the show is set. Perhaps DDB, the ad agency that Mad Men’s Sterling Cooper is supposedly based on, were behind some of these.

Here are a few politically incorrect gems from the golden age of advertising ... Nothing like stereotypes, the misuse of adored cartoon characters and a dog named Gaylord to get you wistful for the '60s:

When there’s no man around … there’s no one to blame for this Goodyear commercial:

Although originally intended for adults, The Flintstones no doubt appealed to younger audiences as well. Check out this 1960 commercial featuring the show’s sponsor, Winston Cigarettes:

Is this Mattel Tommy Burst collection that much worse than shoot-em-up video games? At least it encouraged kids to dress up all snazzy like, they are adorable!:

S’cuse me? If this is his gratitude for being served breakfast, “the girls at the office” can handle his dinner too. This is just one of many ads from Folgers that deal with a wife’s inadequacies (and self-worth) when it comes to coffee:

Before there was Long Duck Dong, there was Jell-O (... and Funny Face Drink Mix, which came in flavours like Injun’ Orange and Chinese Cherry. Seriously.):

... And before there was Axe Body Spray, there was Hai Karate:

Buick knows that women not only enjoy being followed, but they also like a good-looking car that only men “understand”:

This sun tan lotion keeps out the “skin burning rays” but lets in the “dark tanning rays” (but no mention of “skin cancer rays”) – it’s marketing nonsense at its best:

Should we be surprised? They gave their kids names like "Butch" and "Fanny" back then, after all:

In 1963, television audiences were introduced to Ronald McDonald. He, uh, looked a little different back then:

It’s not politically incorrect - it’s just dumb - but the kids "Swing-Winging" in the boat get us every time:

For an entertaining look at the era and the egos that these and other ads emerged from, tune into Mad Men on Sundays, 10PM EST on AMC.