Have a carton of smokes! Or two. Or three... or four...?
Times sure have changed, haven't they? I can't believe how absurd this looks from our modern day perspective. I've actually been on the planet long enough that (had my parents been smokers) I'd have considered this perfectly acceptable as a kid. In fact, a great gift idea! I certainly witnessed plenty of little kids buying cigarettes back in the 70's with no more than a "they're for my dad."
But this ad is beyond hilarious. Even Scraps, the dog is getting in on the act. I get the feeling this guy's family is hoping to cash in his life insurance policy - and soon! "Here dad, smoke your brains out. Mom's got State Farm on speed dial."
Its summer... I'm feeling lazy... and I love old cigarette ads. This week we'll dig out another batch and enjoy a chuckle or two.
* My "Smoking" Flickr set.
* Wanna see what I got for Father's Day? Click here and see why I have the coolest kids.
I wonder if they cropped the top of "dad's" image so we wouldn't see his oxygen mask!
ReplyDeleteThis was back when us kids didn't wear seatbelts either. Seems like a different world, eh?
Huw
EYECATCHER
Hah... yeah, exactly, Huw. The show "Madmen" does such a good job casually throwing in all these amazing 50's "normal behaviour" motifs like rampant smoking, lunch hour drinking and no seatbelts EVER. One that we've been chuckling about is a scene where the family is enjoying a picnic... and then shakes out their blanket and walks away, leaving all their trash on the grass! Times have certainly changed. ;^)
ReplyDeleteWonderful! wonderful! Your blog is so rad!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work :)
Best
Gulzar
Thank you so much, Gulzar - YOU are wonderful. ;^)
ReplyDeletethis is *fabulous*, thanks for the post. I love that even loyal little Fido is every so gleefully bidding his master a long, debilitating chronic pulmonary disease.
ReplyDeleteLeif: What an outstanding post. Over and over again, illustrations of such breath-taking intimacy and warmth, so beautifully done; all to sell a cancerous, death-dealing product. The first illustration of the mother and child is as perfect and lovely as any of the "fine art" done by Mary Cassatt. Has there ever been finer examples of commercial art? Thanks so much for this post. -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteYou're so spot on Leif when you say (Joe de Mers) never has an illustration of a mother and child looked so right! You just want to keep going back and looking at it.
ReplyDeleteThe Ross Hunter movies of the late 50's and early 60's captured that
lovely elegance too. (Houseboat,Pillow Talk)
Ha! Nice find, Leif. They're luring Dad down the stairs, but what you can't see is the trip wire on that last step. This is what made MAD magazine parodies so easy.
ReplyDeleteLeif: Oops. I thought Smokes for Mom and Smokes for Dad was one long post. My comments were for the contents of both posts. -- Mykal
ReplyDelete