People are exposed to a barrage of advertisements every day. But when you put it into actual numbers, it’s even more mind boggling. One expert told The New York Times that someone who lives in a city can see up to 5,000 ads a day. That’s so high it seems made up!
Maybe that’s why local ads stand out. Not because they’re flashier or more eye-grabbing than their national counterparts–clearly they’re not–but precisely because they’re so amateurish. We can all probably remember cheesy local ads from when we grew up. In my home town, there was a plumber who would recreate of blockbuster movies like The Matrix for his commercials. What he lacked in special effects, he more than made up for with enthusiasm and puns.
Yep, local ads are just charming, and it’s even more true when you look at ads from the 1960’s and 70’s. We’re able to do that thanks to our friends at Flashbak, tireless chroniclers of things vintage and awesome–give them a click!
1. First State Bank Of Avinger
Photo Credit: Flashbak
That is a dynamite slogan. Really rolls off the tongue.”First State Bank of Avinger is honored to be of assistance to you in your banking needs” is basically the “Got Milk?” of the 60’s.
2. John Tarleton College Bookstore
Photo Credit: Flashbak
This photo was taken before Congress passed the Fashion Act of 1967, which made it illegal to wear white socks with penny loafers.
3. Gay Nineties Pizza To Go
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Welcome to another fantastic episode of W0rds That Used To Mean Something Very Different.
4. Demarc’s Shoes
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Oh man, this one takes me back, when buying shoes meant having a personal salesman to attend to your every need. The 1960’s truly were a great time to be a woman who loved shoes, or a man who was a secret pervert.
5. Clyde Campbell Men’s Suits
Photo Credit: Flashbak
Yeah, nothing captures that ol’ Hugh Hefner magic like hiring a bunch of lifeguards to sit on your inventory while you hope they don’t shoplift anything. (They absolutely did.)
6. Diamond “A” Meat Co.
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Before Death Row Records, this was the most badass business to come out of Compton.
7. The Insurance Company For Non-Drinkers
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Back in the 1960’s, a “non-drinker” was defined as someone who had no more than eight whiskeys at work.
8. Ed Spitalnick Realty
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Wait, what? What in the hell is even happening here? The only way this ad makes sense is if Ed Spitalnick exclusively sold houses to lobotomy patients. Hey, gotta find your niche.
9. First Western Bank
Photo Credit: Flashbak
When most banks advertise, they go for a “We take good care of your money” vibe. Not First Western. Their motto is, “We handle your cash like a weed dealer who just found out he has 3 months to live.”
10. La Mirada Typewriter Shop
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Janet gets a chair when she hits 60 words per minute. She knows that.
11. Stephenville Printing
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Stephenville Printing: where almost 75% of the stains on our aprons come from the printing, guaranteed.
12. Joe Pollan’s Enco Station
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Actually this isn’t an ad, it’s a publicity still for a 1960’s sitcom about a grumpy widower who owns a gas station and adopts two mischievous runaways who also solve mysteries.
13. Commercial National Bank of Texarkana
Photo Credit: Flashbak
The only interesting thing I can spot about this one is the fact that there’s a town in Arkansas called “Fouke.” I can pretty much guess what Fouke High’s main rival would yell during basketball games.
14. Patterson Chevrolet
Photo Credit: Flashbak
Patterson Chevrolet: the number one choice for housewives who enjoyed The Graduate a bit too much.
h/t: Flashbak