you-mean-a-woman-can-open-it

you-mean-a-woman-can-open-it

bright-and-clear

bright-and-clear

girl-around-the-house

girl-around-the-house

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harder-cuter-she-looks1

a-women-can-open-it

a-women-can-open-it

Sexist Vintage Ads

Advertising August 19th 2009 by Christopher

Not that Ultra Swank condones being sexist, it just sometimes amazes me what kind of stuff advertising agencies were able to pull off around the 1950s.

Here are some fine examples of American ads of the times that takes a punch at women only being good for being secretaries, housewives and objects of beauty. Even though the ads would never pass in a magazine today, they are still cute in a old fashioned way. Thankfully, men have evolved a little over the years. (Via)

About the author

Christopher founded Ultra Swank in 2005. Has a crush on mid-century graphic design, defunct airlines, Disneyland and the Century 21 Exposition. Is a collector of easy listening music from the 60s and 70s and a Swedish expat living in Barcelona, Spain. Read more articles by me

Comments for this article

  • Pingback: Advertising: Sexist Vintage Ads | Ultra Swank | AdRetails.Com

  • Kevin

    Wow, I am amazed they allowed innuendo like that lipstick ad in a magazine in the 1950′s.

  • Jay

    There’s an ad (from a sixties magazine) currently for sale on eBay advertising the 007 James Bond toiletries that reads, “007 gives any man the license to kill…Women.”

  • http://martinfernandezsanjurjo.es Martin R

    ba, ba, bah… Those are very light… look at this spaniard commercial from the late 50′s, if you understand spanish, the wife is told “have you thought that your husband works a lot of hours?” when she ask why is he so irritated (you can see he even slap the wife in the face). The cure is give him a cup of brandy Soberano!. watch it at

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpxutP2JH4E

  • Ferdinand Chetler

    Yeah, god forbid we appreciate women as “objects of beauty”.  That’s just ugly-feminist hate talking.