Vintage women ad
Hello, ladies! Are you tired of being treated like a person? Do you miss the good old days when you were just a prop on the hood of a Dodge Challenger? Me neither! But looking at a vintage women ad is like opening a time capsule filled with hairspray and misogyny. It is wild. They really thought the way to sell a computer was to put a woman next to it looking confused, like “Does this machine bake cookies?”
And the cigarette ads! “You’ve come a long way, baby.” Have we? Have we really? Because now we are just wearing capes and smoking Virginia Slims like superheroes with emphysema. It is fascinating to see how they tried to package empowerment back then. It usually involved a lot of pink and a lot of condescension. But hey, at least the fashion in the Swatch ad was fun. If you ignore the patriarchy, the aesthetics were kind of a vibe.
Marketing has changed a lot over the decades, especially when it comes to talking to half the population. We have collected the most stereotypical, patronizing, and visually striking advertisements from the past that tried (and often failed) to appeal to women.
The Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog is a classic. It reminds us that lingerie used to be drawn by hand, which somehow makes it even more unrealistic. And the computer ad asking “This is a computer?” is just insulting. Yes, it’s a computer, Brenda. You can touch it without it exploding.
If you enjoy roasting the Mad Men era, there is plenty more to see. We recommend looking at vintage sexism, funny retro ads, and marketing fails for more historical cringe.
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Laura Bennett has spent eight years immersed in internet culture, specializing in deep dives into meme origins, evolving meme trends, and digital subcultures. As a contributor for several prominent online platforms, including BuzzFeed’s meme division and Know Your Meme, she’s written extensively about viral moments from Crying Jordan to Woman Yelling at a Cat. Laura believes memes aren't just internet jokes—they're modern-day folklore. She brings that passion to Thunder Dungeon by keeping readers connected to what's culturally significant, hilarious, and timelessly viral.
