1940s Vintage Ads

The war years and the dawn of the atomic age, ads in the 1940s were still considered “readers” — there was a lot of text accompanying the ads. We start to see the first use of photography, but most products are still rendered by illustration.

1930s Vintage Ads

1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949

1950s Vintage Ads

All 1940s Vintage Ads By Year

1940 Ads

1940 Prudential Limited-Payment Life Insurance Ad - "What life insurance program for a man whose 'big money' years are limited?"

1940 Insurance Company of North America Fire Insurance Ad - ""You're cooking up trouble for yourself""

1940 Camel Cigarettes Ad - "GET THE 'EXTRAS'—WITH SLOWER-BURNING CAMELS"

1940 Dromedary Gingerbread Mix Ad - "Dromedary's Big Surprise for You"

1940 Mercury 8 1941 Ad - "The big car that stands alone in economy"

1940 Hudson 1941 Six De Luxe Sedan Ad - "Symphonic Styling"

1940 Air Step Shoes Ad - "The shoe with the magic sole"

1940 Sun-Maid Raisins Ad - "How to enjoy BETTER HEALTH BETTER MEALS for only a few cents a week"

1940 Golden Wedding Whiskey Ad - "Five great whiskies 'wedded' into one"

1940 Whitman's Sampler Chocolates Ad - "A WOMAN NEVER FORGETS THE MAN WHO REMEMBERS"

1940 Packard One-Ten Deluxe Sedan 1941 Ad - "Brimming with Beauty — Bursting with News!"

1940 Armour's Treet Ad - "The People's Choice!"

1940 Stetson Slant Hat Ad - "Stetson has a new "Slant" on hats"

1940 Pall Mall Famous Cigarettes Ad - "Compare Pall Mall with your old cigarette"

1940 Dodge Job-Rated Trucks (1941) Ad - "More than ever... built to fit the job!"

1940 Nash Ambassador and Nash Ambassador Six Ad - "A New Kind of Car is Here!"

1940 Motorola Wireless Automatic Record Changer Ad - "Make Your Radio an Automatic Phonograph at Low Cost"

1940 California Wines Ad - "These days more people than ever before choose Wine"

1940 Ford 1941 Car Ad - "Get the facts and you'll get a FORD!"

1940 1941 DeSoto Ad - "Fluid Drive now combined with the new Simplimatic Transmission—gives you full Automatic Shifting for all normal driving!"

1940 Hiram Walker's Signet Straight Rye Whiskey Ad - "Delightfully light ... because It’s Aged in AGED Wood"

1940 Fleischmann's Fresh Yeast Ad - "Now You'll Like Yeast!"

1940 Swift's Brookfield Pure Pork Sausage Ad - "TIME FOR SIZZLIN' SAUSAGE WITH THE OLD-TIME FLAVOR"

1940 Paul Jones Whiskey Ad - "Impossible, is it?"

1940 Baker's Chocolate and Cocoa Ad - "celebrate the 175th Birthday of Successful Cooking with Baker's Chocolate"

1940 International D-30 Cab-Over-Engine Truck Ad - "PICTURE OF A DREAM COMING TRUE"

1940 Air Transport Association Airline Travel Ad - "IT PAYS TO FLY"

1940 International Sterling Serenity flatware Ad - "International Sterling's new pattern... 'SERENITY'"

1940 Vitality Shoes women's dress shoes Ad - "ELECT Vitality FOR LIFE!"

1940 Pan American Coffee Bureau Coffee Ad - "Some folks frown on it... but it's a lot of fun"

1940 Westinghouse Leisure Line of Electric Home Appliances Ad - "Leave it to ME and there'll be MORE FREE TIME FOR MOTHERS!"

1940 White Owl Cigars (New White Owl blended with Havana) Ad - "Just off the plane from Havana"

1940 Sanforized-Shrunk shorts and pajamas Ad - "For permanent fit...look for the words...SANFORIZED-SHRUNK"

1940 Chrysler 1941 Airflow Bodies Ad - "NOW Fluid Drive with Automatic Safety Control"

1940 Koroseal synthetic coating Ad - "New synthetic coating by Goodrich makes curtains, coats, tablecloths, anything waterproof, soilproof"

1940 Plymouth 'The One' for '41 Ad - "It Spells C-L-A-S-S"

1941 Ads

1941 Texaco Lubricants Ad - "Texaco Serves the U.S. Navy"

1941 Clopay Window Shades Ad - "Odd name... CLOPAY What Does It Mean?"

1941 Niblets Brand Whole Kernel Corn Ad - "Meet the 'Ker-nul'"

1941 Hoover Cleaner Ad - "Give her the HOOVER and you give her the best"

1941 Old Grand-Dad Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Ad - "Head of the Bourbon Family"

1941 B.V.D. Matched Sets (Pajamas and Robes) Ad - "This Christmas... treat him LIKE A MILLIONAIRE!"

1941 Remington Foursome Electric Shaver Ad - "Remington's newest gift for men"

1941 Royal Portable Typewriter Ad - "If you are thinking of today's most sensible gift..."

1941 Calvert Special and Calvert Reserve Blended Whiskey Ad - "Clear Heads Choose Calvert"

1941 Fleischmann's Enriched Hi-B Yeast Ad - "Four are unfilled..."

1941 Pliofilm 'Usefuls' Ad - "different inexpensive gifts everyone adores"

1941 Toushay Lotion Ad - "So effective it protects your hands even in hot, soapy water!"

1941 Motorola Radios, Automatic Changers, Phonograph Radios Ad - "3-DIMENSION VITA-TONE Makes the Difference"

1941 General Motors Dealership Service Ad - "Partners in Progress through Service"

1941 Ann Page Sparkle Gelatin Dessert Ad - ""Masked Bandit" makes rich haul!"

1941 Lord Elgin and Lady Elgin Watches Ad - "America's most celebrated timepieces!"

1941 Del Monte Corn Ad - "Which kind of corn?"

1941 Seaforth! For Men Gift Packages Ad - "For the MAN at the top of your list!"

1941 I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Ad - "Present it Proudly"

1941 Carnation Irradiated Milk Ad - "A guy sure does grow... when he sticks to Carnation!"

1941 Golden Wedding Whiskey Ad - "Five great whiskies 'wedded' into one"

1941 Firestone Holiday Gift Selection Ad - "Gifts for the Entire Family at Firestone"

1941 California Sauterne and Burgundy Wine Ad - "WINE speaks a quiet, warm-hearted welcome"

1941 Continental Whiskey Collection Ad - "NTINENTAL that Superb Whiskies, Gins from The HOUSE of COwill bring joy to millions of festive tables"

1941 Statler Hotels Hospitality and Accommodations Ad - "Welcome stranger!"

1941 General Electric Radios Ad - "There's a General Electric Radio Here for EVERYONE!"

1941 Yardley Gift Sets Ad - "Yours to Give... These Yardley Sets"

1941 Birds Eye Flounder Fillets, Birds Eye Peaches Ad - "You are cordially invited to a fish dinner"

1941 Coca-Cola Ad - "Thirst asks nothing more"

1941 Mimeograph duplicator Ad - "ORDERS HOT OFF THE GRIDDLE"

1941 American Meat Institute Meat Ad - "Meat and the safe way to reduce"

1941 Max Factor Hollywood Make-Up Gift Sets Ad - "Gifts from Hollywood"

1941 Hamilton Watches Ad - "The Watch of Railroad Accuracy"

1941 Coty Perfume Gift Sets (L'Aimant, Paris, L'Origan, Emeraude) Ad - "Theme and Variations by Coty"

1941 Sunbeam Electric Appliances (Mixmaster, Toaster, Waffle Baker, Coffeemaster, Shavemaster) Ad - "Cherished Gifts that keep on giving... all year long!"

1941 Sunbeam Shavemaster Ad - "ONE GOOD Head is best!"

1941 Fram Oil Filter Ad - "SAVE OIL FOR DEFENSE SAVE YOUR MOTOR SAVE MONEY"

1941 Manning Bowman Smokeless Table Broiler Ad - "Exclusively the table broiler that doesn't smoke"

1941 Pillsbury's Pancake Flour Ad - "How to make the family stop talking and start eating!"

1941 Talon slide fastener Ad - ""TALON" the dependable slide fastener"

1941 B.F. Goodrich Silvertown Tires Ad - "Switch to B.F. Goodrich FIRST IN RUBBER"

1941 Chevrolet Dealer Service Ad - "Service that Satisfies... Service that Saves"

1941 Listerine Antiseptic Ad - "AT THE FIRST SYMPTOM OF A COLD OR SORE THROAT—Listerine, QUICK!"

1941 Forstmann 100% Virgin Wool Fabrics Ad - "for lines that live"

1942 Ads

1943 Ads

1944 Ads

1945 Ads

1945 Premier Spreads (Peanut Butter, Grape Jelly, Seeded Jam, Sweet Orange Marmalade, Pure Honey) Ad - "Delicious Spreads That Save Butter!"

1945 Viderm Skin Treatment Ad - "DON'T BE AFRAID AND STOP WORRYING NOW ABOUT EXTERNAL SKIN TROUBLES, FOLLOW THESE EASY DIRECTIONS, YOU CAN NOW ENJOY A PORCELAIN-LIKE SOFTER SKIN"

1945 American Meat Institute Bacon Ad - "How many ways do you serve Bacon?"

1946 Ads

1947 Ads

1947 Erie Railroad Plant Location Service Ad - "THAT'S 16 BILLION DOLLARS ringing in your ears!"

1947 San Antonio as an industrial location Ad - "San Antonio's Climate Lowers Industrial Production Costs"

1947 International Minerals & Chemical Corporation industrial services Ad - "industrial empire of the midwest ... supplies America and the world with a myriad of essential industrial products"

1947 Hughes Rock Bit Ad - "The 'Impenetrable' Barrier"

1947 Vapor RADOR Anticipating Control Ad - "No Matter What Accommodations They Have!"

1947 Lykes Lines New C type express cargo vessels Ad - "LYKES NEW SHIPS – FASTER SERVICE TO YOUR WORLD MARKETS!"

1947 LaMonte Safety Paper for Checks Ad - "Discerning bankers know that checks are 'calling cards' too"

1947 Pittsburgh Paints Color Dynamics Ad - "Color Dynamics"

1947 Westinghouse Electric Corporation 57 acre plant in Santa Clara County Ad - "62 New Industries during the past 42 months"

1947 The H.K. Ferguson Co. Industrial Engineering and Building Services Ad - "WORK/ABILITY SPEEDS OUTPUT, CUTS COSTS"

1947 Cleveland Industrial Location Services Ad - "THE BEST LOCATION IN THE NATION"

1947 Geon Polyvinyl Materials Ad - "Picture of a dry fly fisherman"

1947 Container Corporation of America Packaging Ad - "IDAHO — annual purchases: $300 million — mostly packaged."

1947 Foote Bros. Power Units and Aircraft Quality Gears Ad - "We Like Tough Jobs!"

1947 New York Central Freight Rail Service Ad - "KEY Executive picks New York Central for KEY Ports"

1947 Honeywell Automatic Controls and Brown Industrial Instruments Ad - "Automatic Controls for the Nation"

1947 Comptometer adding-calculating machines Ad - "DOG TALKS!"

1947 Hercules Insecticides (Toxaphene, Thanut, DDT) Ad - "problem... solution result..."

1947 Mallory School Sound System Components Ad - "This 'Little Red Schoolhouse' Has a Thousand Teachers"

1947 John Bean Speed Sprayer and High Pressure Mast Sprayer Ad - ""Language" That Insects Understand"

1947 Galbestos Q-Panels Ad - "Rock-bound Steel and Hung in a Jiffy"

1947 U.S. Savings Bonds Payroll Savings Plan Ad - "Save the easy way..buy your bonds through payroll savings"

1947 Jenkins Valves Ad - "Better cut maintenance costs to the bone, boss!"

1947 Mead Papers Ad - ""CALL FOR...""

1947 Chicago and Northern Illinois Educational and Cultural Opportunities Ad - "Chicago and Northern Illinois... Rich in Educational and Cultural Advantages"

1947 Combustion Engineering Steam Generating Units Ad - "History-making power stations"

1947 Kearney & Trecker Machine Tools Ad - "NEW MACHINES—Man’s friend or man’s foe?"

1947 Bank Building and Equipment Corporation of America bank design services Ad - "America's most experienced bank designers"

1947 Florida Tourism and Industry Ad - "The inside story of FLORIDA'S double life"

1947 Art Metal Conference Desk Ad - "Makes any office a conference room in 30 seconds flat!"

1947 Clearing Mechanical and Hydraulic Presses Ad - "Putting the FINGER on Costs"

1947 Synthane Plastics Ad - "Plastics where plastics belong for resistance to corrosion and wear"

1947 Towmotor Fork Lift Trucks and Tractors Ad - "THE ONE-MAN-GANG"

1947 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Services Ad - "Labor and management agree on Los Angeles"

1947 Glidden Lecithin Ad - "So little known - So big in promise"

1947 The National City Bank of New York International Banking Services Ad - "First in World Wide Banking"

1947 Diamond Roller Chains Ad - "When leaders go to market, they insist on the best!"

1947 J.E. Sirrine & Co. Engineering Services Ad - "When Management and Engineer are both good ...there's an upward trend to PROFIT"

1947 National Oil Seals Ad - "A double-jointed dingbat?"

1947 Joyce Machine Company Machined Metal Parts and Assemblies Ad - "COME AND GET IT!"

1947 SKF Ball and Roller Bearings Ad - "THE RIGHT BEARING FOR THE RIGHT PLACE"

1947 Al Paul Lefton Company Inc. Advertising Services Ad - "RESEARCH... IMAGINATION... RESULTS..."

1947 Smith, Barney & Co. Investment Securities Services Ad - "The Cornfield that fed a Miracle"

1947 Babcock & Wilcox Boilers Ad - "POWER BOOSTED 60% NO ADDED FLOORSPACE."

1947 Houston Pipe Line Co. Natural Gas Ad - "Goats DO Make Good Neighbors..."

1947 Bower Tapered Spher-O-Honed Roller Bearings Ad - "How Smooth is Smooth?"

1947 UGL Gilsalume Gilsonite Asphalt Aluminum Roof Paint Ad - "Actually cools buildings as much as 15°"

1947 American Brake Shoe wear-resistant parts Ad - "THE INEXORABLE DRIP"

1947 Burroughs Business Machines Ad - "THE MARK OF SUPERIORITY IN MODERN BUSINESS MACHINES"

1947 DuMont Teleset Ad - "Get the most out of television with a Du Mont Teleset"

1947 America Fore Insurance Group Household Possessions Fire Insurance Ad - "Add 'em up and fall over!"

1947 Hagan industrial combustion and chemical engineering services Ad - "message to 8 big companies and hundreds of smaller ones"

1947 McNally Pittsburg Harmattan Preparation Plant Ad - "Over the Horizon in '47 . . . The New Harmattan Preparation Plant"

1947 Monsanto Chemicals and Plastics for Wood Protection Ad - "How to Get the 'Bugs' Out of Wood—WITH CHEMISTRY"

1947 The Austin Company Engineering and Construction Services Ad - "DESIGNED TO SAVE A FRACTION OF A CENT"

1947 Champion Paper and Fibre Company paper products Ad - "Champion Logs Shoot The Chutes To Paper"

1947 McBee Keysort Ad - "Western scores ought to be on by now..."

1947 Burton's Distilled London Dry Gin Ad - "ON TOP From Coast to Coast"

1947 Ford Trucks Ad - "Where It's Toughest—Ford Trucks Last Longer!"

1947 Sperry Printer Ad - "Better ways to print faster with Sperry Electronics"

1947 Haig & Haig Blended Scots Whisky Ad - "The First and Last Word in Scotch"

1947 BOAC Speedbird Service Ad - "OVER THE ATLANTIC...AND ACROSS THE WORLD"

1947 Dewar's White Label and Dewar's Victoria Vat Ad - "As Traditional of Scotland as the Bagpipes"

1947 Lord Calvert Blended Whiskey Ad - "For Men of Distinction...LORD CALVERT"

1947 Eaton 2-speed axle Ad - "Eaton and the Truck Industry Grew Up Together"

1947 Yorkaire Conditioner Ad - "Will you have HOT WEATHER CROWDS this Summer?"

1947 Beechcraft Executive Transport Ad - ""Be back for dinner, Daddy""

1947 Bohn Aluminum & Brass Automotive Alloys Ad - "Millions of pounds of light alloys fabricated by Bohn are incorporated in the vast array of highly efficient automobiles that go into daily use throughout the world."

1947 Omega Automatic Watch Ad - "FIRST NAME IN TIME : LAST WORD IN WATCH MAKING"

1947 Kentucky Tavern Straight Bourbon Whiskey Ad - "The Aristocrat of Bonds"

1947 Seagram's Ancient Bottle Gin Ad - "American Originals"

1947 Canada Vacations Unlimited Ad - "It can still be all yours this year"

1947 Martin 2-0-2 Ad - "Here's How to Get the Jump on Competition! Travel or Ship by Martin 2-0-2"

1947 Dictograph Intercommunication System Ad - "The proven way to CUT BUSINESS COSTS"

1947 Canadian Pacific Train Travel Ad - "We're seeing CANADA by TRAIN!"

1947 Old Grand-Dad Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Ad - "Head of the Bourbon Family"

1947 Philadelphia Blended Whisky Ad - "The Heritage Whisky"

1947 Hilton Hotels Group Ad - "Individually Famous yet they possess the same Hilton Hospitality"

1947 Underwood Typewriter Ad - "Typewriter Leader of the World"

1947 Lincoln 1947 Motor Car Ad - "Nothing could be finer"

1947 Smith-Corona Office Typewriters Ad - "You can type 10 to 15 words a minute faster!"

1947 Gruen Curvex Watch Ad - "so truly Beautiful"

1948 Ads

1948 General Mills Bakers Flours Ad - "Why do the hungry ask first for bread?"

1948 Kaiser and Frazer Automobiles Ad - "Unquestioned Style Leadership!"

1948 Statler Hotels (Hotel William Penn, Pittsburgh) Ad - "YOU REALLY ARE A GUEST!"

1948 Sunsweet Tenderized Prunes Ad - "Good Eating AND GOOD FOR YOU!"

1948 Phillips 66 Petroleum Derivatives Ad - "EVERYTHING BUT THE SQUEAL!"

1948 Evervess Sparkling Water Ad - "Yes, Yes!"

1948 Dormeyer Mixer Ad - "Meet the Mixer Preferred by Millions"

1948 Servel The GAS Refrigerator Ad - "Stays Silent Lasts Longer"

1948 La Choy Chinese Dinner Ad - "Now! Delicious La Choy Chinese Dinner—for as little as 17¢ a serving!"

1948 Nucoa Oleomargarine Ad - "So Sweet and Fresh"

1948 Jeep Station Wagon Ad - "A Hit in BOSTON and BUENOS AIRES"

1948 76 Gasoline Ad - "Just how high are prices?"

1948 Hudson Sedan Ad - "America cheers the new Hudson... the car you step down into!"

1948 Proctor Never-Lift Iron Ad - "Now! Iron a shirt in 4½ minutes sitting down!"

1948 Canned Foods Ad - "Feed 'em and Reap!"

1948 Plymouth Cars Ad - "If it's VALUE you want—it's PLYMOUTH you want"

1948 Studebaker 1948 Ad - "Outside—a new look! Inside—a new outlook!"

1948 7 Up Soda Ad - "The 'fresh up' family drink! You like it... it likes you!"

1948 Kraft Velveeta Process Cheese Food Ad - "For thrifty main dishes... catch onto the Kraft double boiler trick!"

1948 Libby's Twice-Rich Tomato Juice Ad - "Try the cold-day WARM-UP DRINK... Libby's TWICE-RICH Tomato Juice served piping hot!"

1948 Williams Luxury Shaving Cream, Williams Glider Shaving Cream, Aqua Velva After-Shave Ad - "$1.00 Value for 75¢... if you act quickly!"

1948 Honeywell Chronotherm Ad - "PAYS for ITSELF Over and Over Again"

1948 International Metro Truck Ad - "UNCHALLENGED 10-YEAR LEADER"

1948 DeSoto Car Ad - "It's the best car I ever owned, regardless of price!"

1948 Coolerator Heavy-Duty Home Freezer Ad - "Be Safe from Soaring Food Costs!"

1948 Goodyear Super-Cushion Tire Ad - "First new kind of tire in 15 years! car makers say"

1948 Fruehauf Trailers Ad - "HELP BRING OUT The Stars!"

1948 Nash 600 Ad - "We even engineer the air"

1948 New England Mutual Life Insurance Ad - "Will the camera report your retirement as happily?"

1948 Ford Bonus Built Trucks 1948 Ad - "Star Spangled New!"

1948 Heinz Tomato Ketchup Ad - "Save your money. Enjoy your meals."

1948 Arrow Anachords Shirts, Ties, Handkerchiefs Ad - "Arrow's Style of the Month 'Anachords'"

1948 Dodge Sedan Ad - "SMOOTHEST CAR 'AFLOAT'"

1948 Champion Spark Plug Ad - "America's Favorite Spark Plug"

1948 Du Pont Nylon Ad - "news about nylon"

1948 Pullman Train Room Ad - "The safest, most comfortable way to get there!"

1948 Bendix Radio-Phonograph Model 1531 Ad - "The best in radio is better with the Brilliant Bendix Radio"

1948 Lucky Strike Cigarettes Ad - "Lucky Strike presents The Man Who Knows – The Tobacco Warehouseman"

1948 Whitman's Sampler Chocolates & Confections Ad - "P.S. A woman never forgets the man who remembers."

1948 Hertz Driv-Ur-Self System Ad - "Here's how you can RENT A NEW CAR FROM HERTZ as easy as A...B...C"

1948 Pennsylvania Silent Vacuum Cup Ad - "RUNS LONGER - STOPS SHORTER"

1948 Maxwell House Coffee Ad - "Throughout this nation of coffee lovers more people buy and enjoy Maxwell House than any other brand of coffee!"

1948 B.F. Goodrich Silvertown Tires Ad - "Typical example: user's experience with B. F. Goodrich tires"

1948 General Electric Electronic Reproducer natural color tone radios Ad - "It's simply breathtaking!"

1948 Liberty Mutual Insurance Ad - "We work to keep you safe"

1948 Ipana Tooth Paste Ad - "for your Smile of Beauty"

1949 Ads

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