During the Christmas season cities around the world are decorated in festive colors. Red, green, and gold are everywhere. Stores put up elaborate displays. Advertisements try to convince us what to buy for presents. Today’s ads are full of the newest gadgets, clothes, and delicious food. But old advertisements, the ones from many decades ago, show us a very different kind of Christmas. They offer a peek into what life was like a long time ago.
Looking at vintage Christmas ads, the kinds of gifts people wanted might surprise you. Many ads from the mid-20th century promoted things that seem quite ordinary to us today. Household items were often featured as ideal Christmas presents. Things we use every day were seen as gifts.
For example, you might see an ad for a brand-new vacuum cleaner. It would be presented as the perfect gift for a wife or mother. The ad might show a smiling woman happily using the vacuum. These ads suggested that a clean house was the best gift.
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Other ads showcase kitchen appliances, like toasters, mixers, or coffee makers. These items were seen as modern conveniences that would make life easier. They were presented as thoughtful and practical gifts. They showed a focus on home life.
One of the most striking differences between vintage Christmas ads and today’s ads is the promotion of cigarettes. Many old ads show cigarettes being given as Christmas gifts. It’s something that would be very unusual today. We now know the dangers.
These ads often featured festive packaging designed specifically for the holiday season. Cartons of cigarettes were wrapped in colorful paper with pictures of Santa Claus, reindeer, or other Christmas imagery. They were made to look appealing and gift-worthy. They were marketed as a normal gift.
