It’s a common myth Coca-Cola invented the image of Santa Claus as we know it today. Santa had been portrayed as a man dressed in red as early as 1870. However, Christmas adverts such as this one in 1941 showing him with rosy cheeks and a smile did improve his friendly image.
Even back in 1942 when this advert was published, Heinz Ketchup was one of America’s favourite condiments to slather on a hot dog. The slogan “57 varieties”, coined in 1896, is still used today. The number doesn't refer to how many products the brand sells, it was just a number H. J. Heinz thought sounded lucky.
In 1947, Hormel had an excellent idea for an easy and fun way to entertain guests. It suggested stacking a lazy Susan with thin slices of “tender-mild, delicious” SPAM, as well as cheese, relish, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles, butter and bread slices. This way guests could have all the fun of building their own lunch.
Particularly popular in the 1950s, Del Monte Fruit Cocktail featured in numerous dessert recipes where one tin would be combined with Jell-O or ready-made sponge. This 1951 advert provides a recipe for “Party Fruit Basket”: an angel food cake hollowed out and filled with fruit cocktail in gelatine and garnished with whipped cream.
In 1951 this Velveeta Cheese Food advert was published in Australia for an exciting new product which could be used in place of butter and cheese. Its key marketing points were that you could slice, spread and melt it. It also claimed to be a healthy choice for children... but we're not so sure about that.
This adorable vintage poster from 1952 shows a mother cat explaining to her kittens how an AGA cooker works (because cats love to sleep next to the warm stove). It covers everything from the material it’s made with to what you can do with it, including slow cooking casseroles and bottling fruit.
“As refreshing as fresh fruit” reads a Miracle Aid advert from 1953. It was a concentrate you’d mix with water to make orange, strawberry, lemon-lime, raspberry, grape and cherry-flavoured drinks, produced by Curtiss Candy Company.
Back in 1953, when this advert was published, Green Giant was the choice brand for millions of American families wanting healthy veg at mealtimes. You could choose between peas, corn, creamed corn and Mexican-style corn (with red and green peppers) – great for adding to soups and casseroles.
The 1950s was Budweiser's heyday, with its tagline (which continues to be used today), the "King of Beers". Thanks to the efforts of founder Adolphus Busch and persuasive adverts like this one from 1956, it was America’s best-selling beverage for much of the 20th century.
Minute Maid fresh-frozen Orange Juice is frozen, concentrated juice in a tin that has to be thawed overnight and mixed with water. This advert from 1957 touts its “healthful” Vitamin C content and the fact you get more for your money than if you squeezed your own oranges at home.
Almost identical to an Oreo, Hydrox Cookies were made by Sunshine Biscuits and actually invented first. This advert from 1957 depicts a school boy taking a big bite out of one and claims “Nothing’s in a class with Hydrox, the original”.
Produced by Kraft Foods, Miracle Whip is a lower fat, more processed version of mayonnaise and just the thing to smother over salads and sandwiches. Or, like in this 1962 advert, to make devilled lettuce – a lettuce that's been hollowed out and filled with a mix of cream cheese, ham and veggies.
Before Diet Coke there was Coca-Cola’s Tab. And to rival Tab there was Diet Pepsi, which became available in 1964 and is still sold worldwide. The advert promised a “Leaner look” while still providing that “Honest-to-Pepsi taste”.
It’s not everyone’s favourite item, but one that has stood the test of time. The McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish landed on US menus in 1965. The sandwich consists of breaded white fish with American cheese and tartar sauce. The slogan was “fish that catches people”.
This was the advert where Americans were first introduced to the most-loved mascot, the Pillsbury Doughboy Poppin’ Fresh. The ad was for ready-made doughs to make sweet pastries, biscuits, croissants and cookies. The creator got the idea when he popped open a can and imagined Doughboy jumping out.
By the 1960s, Jell-O was so popular you could even get celery and mixed vegetable flavour for setting salads with peppers, cucumber, carrots, olives and more. It wasn’t a dessert but a savoury dish often served at buffets. Thankfully, this trend has been lost in time.
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Australians will fondly remember Rowntree’s Tosca – a popular chocolate bar featuring layers of cream, caramel and wafer, covered in milk chocolate. This campaign is from the 1960s, the decade it launched.
Founded in 1971, Hamburger Helper is a box containing powdered sauce and dried pasta which you cook with minced beef to create meals. Its first five flavours included beef noodle, chilli tomato, cheeseburger macaroni, rice oriental, hash dinner and potato stroganoff.
This 1970s advert for Kellogg’s Frosties (called Sugar Frosted Flakes in the US) was published in a British magazine. It promised kids a model aircraft kit to build their own plane if they sent in six finished packets of the sugary cereal. It also featured a retro-looking Tony the Tiger.
These are the most popular cereals from the decade you were born
The king of packaged products, Chef Boy-Ar-Dee's Pizza Mix contained sauce, pizza flour and cheese, plus directions to follow at home. The 1970s ad campaign encouraged young chefs to get creative with their designs, saying "Pizza doesn't have to be a pie anymore."
Cut-out money-off coupons that come with adverts are always a win. This one from 1975 offered Brits 3p off Twix bars and 2p off a Milky Way. That's equivalent to roughly 47p and 31p in today's money.
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McDonaldland cookies were sold in Happy Meals from 1974. They were hard, crunchy cookies in the shapes of characters such as Ronald McDonald, Officer Big Mac and Captain Crook. These days you’re more likely to get a soft-baked, chewy cookie.
In the 1970s, Kraft Foods' Macaroni & Cheese ad campaign revolved around the idea of eating well while saving money. And what was suggested as a budget-friendly, balanced meal? Box mac ‘n’ cheese with a frankfurter and two pickle slices.
From 1977, breakfast was added to McDonald’s menus across the USA. Back then there were no biscuit sandwiches and breakfast wraps, just Egg McMuffins, hotcakes, toasted English muffins, scrambled eggs, sausages and Danish pastries.
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The advertisers at French’s hit the jackpot when they came up with the alliterative copy “Lavishing love on hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches for over fifty years” in 1983. Now well over 100 years old, it’s as popular today as it was back then.
Today's most popular hot dog brand in the US, Ball Park Franks were first made famous by the Detroit Tigers baseball team. In 1957, they were sold exclusively in the Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan (illustrated in this 1985 advert) but by 1959, were available in Detroit grocery stores. Today, you can buy them all over the States.
If you came of age in the 1980s, you’ll remember Lean Cuisine, the low-calorie ready meal brand that spoke to the decade’s obsession with dieting. The under-300-calorie range included dishes like courgette lasagne, chicken and vegetables with noodles, and beef curry with rice.
Check out the favourite foods launched the year you were born
Nowadays if you go into McDonald’s and order a salad, you might expect something that includes black beans, poblano peppers, tortilla strips, kale and grilled chicken. But in 1987, when this advert was made, topping options were a little more basic. Think slices of ham, boiled eggs and cucumber.
The McLean Deluxe was a big juicy burger with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, pickles and onion, like the McDonald’s hamburger, but 91% fat-free. It joined US menus in 1991 however didn’t take off. We guess the majority of people don't go to McDonald’s for low-fat options.
Now read the incredible story of how McDonald’s conquered the world