#2 This Has Aged Like Milk Because Google Is A Search Engine With Weather, News Feeds, Links To Sponsors, Ads, And Distractions
#3 An Ad From The 1950s Gives Tips On How To Dispose Of Batteries
Many products advertised in these vintage ads seem questionable today. However, people did many questionable things back in the day: advised pregnant women to smoke to relieve stress, gave babies alcohol to make them sleep better, and many others.
But the ads praising harmful materials like lead and asbestos probably take the crown of absurdity. How is it possible that marketers advertised them as "amazing" and people thought it was okay?
Back in the late '70s, people used asbestos in many common household and construction items: hair dryers, kitchen appliances, plumbing, floors, and, of course, roofs.
Today, it's still used for occupational gear and clothing, but most countries have banned many different forms of asbestos. The U.S. banned the last type, chrysotile asbestos, in 2024.
#5 Nowadays, Kids Will Never Understand The Struggle Of People Trying To Connect To The Internet Using A Phone Line And The Bothering Sounds Of The Whole Process
#6 Photography Ad In My Dad’s Old Yearbook
The material was (and still is in some countries) popular due to its durability and fire resistance. It's also pretty affordable. However, microscopic asbestos fibers are incredibly dangerous to our lungs.
They cause healthy lung tissue to scar or mutate asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. In fact, it's classified as a known human carcinogen by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
But why were the ads for asbestos so popular back in the second half of the 20th century? Apparently, industry leaders did their best to suppress any medical evidence linking asbestos to all the above-mentioned horrible diseases.
Advertisers positioned the toxic material as something futuristic and affordable for home makeover projects. And the flashy, fun commercials and ads got to people -- they really believed this was the natural mineral of the future.
#8 A Sexist Vintage Ad Advertising Men's Slacks Called Mr. Legs. "He Didn't Have To Shoot To Floor Her. One Look At His Pants, And She Was Happy To Have Him Walk All Over Her"
Similarly, people once saw lead as a miracle metal as well. Most of us probably know about the dangers of lead in paint. In the 20th century, white lead paint was incredibly popular. Because it absorbs 12 to 15 times less water than zinc oxide, it is very durable. Back in the 1910s, the authorities advised people to wash their walls regularly because of the Spanish Influenza. So, lead paint was particularly handy in that regard.
#10 People Inventing Plastic Bags Were Trying To Claim Consumers By Advertising The "Cute" Use Of Plastic Bags For Delivering Children, Which Are Now Known To Be Suffocants
#12 Vintage Chlorinol Bleaching Advertisement. Very Racist, And Unacceptable
Even the numerous state and federal agencies urged people to use lead paint. What changed their tune was the growing number of lead poisoning cases in children in the 1930s. The authorities advised parents not to use the paint on toys, baby carriages, and cribs.
However, children would still get poisoned from the paint on the walls. The government only took serious action in the 1970s, though. Lobbyists and advertisers did their best to mislead people and make them believe it was not as toxic. Today, we use lead in batteries; three-quarters are actually found in all types of vehicles.
#18 "He Used To Duck Me, Now He Dates Me" Nadinola Bleaching Cream, Ebony Magazine, May 1963
Interestingly, the Romans used lead in more ways than the modern 20th-century society. They lined aqueducts and water pipes with lead and also put it in makeup, cookware, and even contraceptives. Perhaps the most surprising use of lead in Ancient Rome was as a sweetener for food and drinks but also to control fermentation in wine. That's actually why kids sometimes chewed on lead paint chips: it can taste sweet.
