Before the digital age, billboards were one of the primary advertising mediums for brands around the world and today, a lot of brands still use them. However, billboards have come a long way over the years and these days, you’re more likely to see a highly polished, minimalistic advert for a technology product than anything else.
In the good old days, billboard advertisements were simple and tended to be illustrated rather than feature photography. Here are a few of the best vintage billboard adverts from some of the worlds largest brands.
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1 – The West Grew Up In Levi’s (Levi’s)
These days, Levi Jeans are well-known around the world and the brand has somewhat become a fashion icon. However, this wasn’t always the case as jeans actually started their life as cheap, manual labour clothing in the USA. Although they’ve evolved over the years, this vintage ad from Levi’s shows pride in the roots of the company.
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2- There’s a Ford In Your Future (Ford)
Ford are one of the biggest car companies in the world but obviously, this is due to a long history of great ads. Ford cars (like many others) are regularly forced down our throats via TV, radio and the internet these days but in the early days, it took clever billboard advertising to spread the word. “There’s a Ford In Your Future” was one of the early ads from word and even now, it looks clean and well-designed.
3 – Thank You Sirs (Coca Cola)
Coca Cola is one of the biggest brands in the world. Period. It doesn’t matter where you travel, you’re bound to be able to pick up a cold Coca Cola beverage to enjoy. Coca Cola are classed as branding/marketing gurus today but this title was certainly earned. This vintage ad runs the slogan “Sign of good taste” and although simple, was hugely effective.
4 – When It’s Quittin’ Time (Old Thompson)
Old Thompson is not so much a household name as many of the brands featured on this list but a few decades ago, they were one of the most well known whiskey brands in the US. Today, the whiskey is produced by the Sazerac company but in the good ol’ days, (Old) Thomson was an iconic brand, as is clear from the ad.
5 – Camaro (Chevrolet)
Chevrolet’s Camaro is one of the most iconic cars in the world and although first introduced all the way back in 1967, it is still produced today. Of course, Chevy didn’t get the car to where it is today without a little bit of marketing and this vintage ad from 1967 speaks for itself. It’s simple, bold and vibrant; everything the Camaro is still known for today.
6 – Wet un Wild (7UP)
7UP is a colourful brand and today, it is easily recognisable by its vibrant green bottle in any well-know supermarket. However, as you can see from the 7UP vintage ad above, things used to be even more vibrant and colourful in the old days. Essentially it’s a lemon-lime soda and clearly, green and yellow were the primary colours in this ad.
7 – Disneyland (Disneyland)
Disneyland is, without a doubt, the most well-known theme park(s) in the world. There’s a Disneyland in Paris, California and of course, Florida. As you can see from the vintage ad above, not that much has changed logo-wise over the years. The idea is still the same and features the same building, just with a more refined logo.
8 – ’66 Impala (Chevrolet)
Another vintage ad from Chevrolet now and this time, it’s for their 1966 Chevrolet Impala; another iconic and well-known Chevrolet model that again, is still being manufactured. It’s simple, clean and bold, much like the Camero ad. If only you could still buy a Chevy for $2825!
9 – Just Taste The Difference! (Hellmann’s)
Hellmann’s is the most well-known mayonnaise manurfacturer in the world but as with any company, this is a title earned over time. Their early ads were simple and today, the brand is still represented in a similar way. Hellmann’s let the product speak for itself in this vintage ad that emphasises the “real” egg ingredients used in the product.
