Throwback Ads: 22 Bold and Quirky Billboards From Another Era
Before smartphones and digital ads took up all of our attention, billboards served as larger-than-life works of art that loomed over highways and city streets. Selling everything from cars and movies to rock ‘n’ roll and roadside diners, these (mostly) hand-painted signs were designed to catch your eye on the go. Whether it was a trippy-looking promo for a ‘60s band or a kitschy motel promise of “color TV and air conditioning,” billboards didn’t just sell things; they told stories.
Take a look at these 22 vintage billboards from the past that illustrate the significant changes in advertising over the years.
1. ‘Billboard for Big Bear Supermarket in Columbus, Ohio’ (1958)
2. An Anti-Tobacco Billboard Seen Outside Zion, Illinois (1921)
3. The Doors Promoting Their First Album in Los Angeles (1967)
4. A Roadside Billboard Inviting Drivers to ‘Take a Sundae Drive’ to Farrell’s, Known for Its Old-Timey Charm and Giant Desserts
5. A Weathered (and Ultra Creepy) McDonald’s Billboard Advertising Burgers and a Playground Park for Less Than a Buck (1980s)
6. Tourists Billboards Along Route 66 (1951)
7. A Pre-Opening Billboard for the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Advertising Its Debut (1990s)
8. A Ford Billboard for the 1955 Ford V8, Featuring a Two-Tone Sedan and Classic Mid-Century Styling in Front of a Dealership Lot (1950s)
9. ‘My Grandfather, W.S. Stuckey, In Front of a Billboard Advertising Stuckey’s Pecan Log Rolls’ (Early 1960s)
10. A Chrysler Billboard Featuring a Flashy Model With Tailfins and a Smiling Couple Going for a Drive (Late-1950s)
11. Classic Americana: A Holiday Inn Motel Sign Inviting Travelers To Enjoy a Luncheon Buffet During the Week
12. ‘Children Looking at a Circus Billboard’ (1930s)
13. A Massive Billboard Promoting ‘Batman Returns’ in New York City’s Times Square (1992)
14. ABBA Poses in Front of Their Own Billboard in Los Angeles (1978)
15. A Young Woman’s Likeness Is Hand-Painted on a Billboard Above Manhattan (1947)
16. Movie Posters for ‘Chatterbox’ and ‘Love Before Breakfast’ Plastered on a Brick Wall Between Houses in Atlanta, Georgia (1936)
17. ‘Star Wars Billboard in Tokyo’ (1978)
18. ‘A Coca-Cola Billboard on the Outskirts of Bangkok’ (1950)
19. A Retro Billboard for Pontiac’s All-New Firebird Formula 400 (1970)
20. A Billboard for Purity Dairy in Nashville, Tennessee, Featuring Ernest P. Worrell and His Famous Line, ‘Know What I Mean, Vern?’
21. A Billboard for the 1968 Dodge Charger Promising ‘Dodge Fever’ With Just One Look (1968)
22. A Playful Billboard for the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington. Certainly Not for Those With a Fear of Heights (1970s)
More vintage ads:
- 15 Fascinating Ads That Tell the Story of Early 20th Century Life — These ads, which span over two decades from 1914 to 1939, are a telling depiction of life in America at the time.
- 27 Weird (and Delicious) Food Ads From the 1970s — To get a glimpse of what everyone was buying for dinner in the ’70s, here are some of the decade’s most delicious food ads.
- 17 Ads That Reveal the Quirks of the 1950s — These 17 ads from the 1950s clue us in to the products that captured Americans’ interests during the decade.