Beyond Belief - Shocking Adverts From The ‘Golden Age’ Of Madison Avenue

Offensive, misleading, racist, sexist and dishonest, countless adverts created in the so-called ‘Golden Age of Madison Avenue’ are inconceivable to modern eyes. With no industry body to regulate them the much-revered ‘Ad Men’ were free to go to any lengths to sell their clients’ products – and did so. From using babies to peddle cigarettes to telling women that their husbands would leave them if they didn’t but certain items, nothing was off limits. Founder of global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, Charles Saatchi has gathered more than 100 of the most shocking campaigns in his latest book Beyond Belief, showing some jaw-dropping examples of non-PC salesmanship.

Fizzy Drinks For Babies

Today we’re constantly told that children need to reduce their sugar intake. But this advert claims that 7-Up is ‘so pure, so wholesome’ that babies under the age of one should drink it. (Seven-Up 1955)

So Easy A Woman Can Do It

This unashamedly offensive advert for Alco HyTop lids boasts that even women with their ‘dainty grasp’ could open this bottle cap. (Alco Aluminum 1953)

Doctors Recommend Luckies

A ban on the direct advertising and marketing of cigarettes came into force in 2003 in the UK. Not so back in 1930, when doctors were used to sell them and there was no obligation to inform people about the health risks. (Lucky Strike 1930)

Black And White

Racism was rife in early 20th century advertising. This advert demonstrated the effectiveness of white paint by having a black child use it to paint his friend’s skin. (Elliots)

Where She Belongs

In a shameless portrayal of a woman as a sex object, this 1972 advert for men’s shoes advises buyers to keep a woman where she belongs - naked at a man’s feet. (Weyenberg Massagic/Playboy 1972)

What Women Want

The output targeting women showed no fewer signs of sexism. The overriding implication is that women should do everything in their power to please men, and exploiting female insecurities was seen as fair game. (Veto Deodorant 1975)

Drink Driving

Alcohol and driving make poor companions, but that didn’t seem to bother the makers of this advert for a beer dispenser in your car, which it describes as ‘invaluable in traffic jams’. (Bock Auto Bar Company)

She’ll Follow You Anywhere

In a bid to sell Tipalet cigars, the twin themes of promoting smoking and objectifying women are brought together in one package, as smokers are advised to ‘blow in her face and she’ll follow you anywhere. (Tipalet 1970)

Keep Your Husband

Dangling the threat of their husband leaving them for another woman was a common trope in adverts aimed at women. This toothpaste ad suggests that a wife with ‘morning mouth’ might lose their husband to a rival with fresher breath. (Chlorodent 1953)

Malboro Mums

Using babies to sell cigarettes was surprisingly common in the 1950s. Malboro ran an entire campaign using ‘talking babies’, aiming to sell smoking as a suitable family-friendly activity. (Malboro 1953)

Beyond Belief

Hundreds of the most shocking adverts from Madison Avenue’s ‘Golden Age’ are featured in Charles Saatchi’s Beyond Belief, available from Amazon.