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Vintage ads once ruled magazines with big promises and even bigger side-eyes by today’s standards. Some were cringey, others downright offensive. Let’s look back at eight old-school beauty ads that definitely wouldn’t fly in today’s world.
“She’s engaged! She’s lovely! She uses Pond’s!”
Pond’s Cold Cream ran a 1950s ad where a woman “won” her man by using their product to clear her skin. The twist? He was too repulsed to kiss her before she started her skincare routine. The message was clear—no clear skin, no romance.
Palmolive’s Don’t Be a Soap Loser Campaign
Palmolive once warned women that using the wrong soap could cost them a man. Their ad showed a bride left at the altar for not using Palmolive. Imagine blaming your heartbreak on bar soap. It’s funny now, but back then, the pressure to be perfectly soft-skinned was very real.
Lysol as a Feminine Hygiene Product
Yes, that Lysol. In the 1920s and ’30s, Lysol was marketed as a feminine hygiene wash and even suggested to help keep husbands faithful. Forget dangerous, it’s absurd. The idea that household cleaners belong in your daily routine shows how far things have come.
“Show her it’s a man’s world.” by Van Heusen
Van Heusen ran an ad featuring a man being served breakfast in bed with the line “Show her it’s a man’s world.” It was supposed to sell ties. Instead, it sold the idea that women’s worth was tied to servitude. Today, that ad would be immediately ratioed into oblivion online.
“Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride”
In the 1920s, Listerine took mouthwash marketing to manipulative new heights. Their iconic tagline painted women as doomed to lifelong singleness unless they fixed their “halitosis” problem. The ad showed a sad woman watching others marry, blaming her bad breath for it all. It turned hygiene into heartbreak and sold millions.
“Mothers, Don’t Let Your Girls Grow Up with Ugly Legs”
Yes, even cold rub brands got weirdly into beauty standards. A 1930s Vicks ad warned moms that their daughters could grow up with unattractive legs if they didn’t treat colds properly. The connection was a stretch, but the message stuck: protect beauty at all costs. Even if that meant dabbing menthol on your knees.
True Blondes
In the 1960s, Clairol hair dye famously asked, “Is it true blondes have more fun?” It was catchy and wildly successful—but it also reinforced the idea that lighter hair meant a better, more exciting life. The message was clear: brunettes, it might be time to reconsider your identity.
Lucky Strike Cigarettes
Lucky Strike’s 1920s campaign encouraged women to smoke instead of snack. “To keep a slender figure—reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet,” one ad read. Not only did it glamorize smoking, but it also promoted disordered eating habits in the name of beauty. And yes, this was a real national ad.
These beauty ads weren’t just cringey
They were a window into what companies once thought women wanted or needed to hear. They sold fear, perfection, and pressure, often in the name of mascara or perfume.
Today, they’re part of history, and luckily, most of us can laugh and roll our freshly-moisturized eyes.