Halloween Ads of Yesteryear

With All Hallow's Eve imminent, here's a small selection of vintage Halloween-themed print ads that I've come across.

Hunt's Catsup, "Happy Halloween", 1967.

Hunt's Catsup puts a tomato twist on the traditional Halloween pumpkin.

Budweiser, 1953.

Budweiser, 1960.

A couple of kitsch beer ads for Budweiser in theme.

Michelob, "If Michelob were a ghost...", 1970.

Michelob beer makes an attempt to be spooky.

Griffin Microsheen, "Neatest Trick Or Treat", 1956.

Witches are a common theme. In this 50's ad, it's difficult to tell what is being advertised (without the blatant product shot) and what is going on. At least Griffin Microsheen show almost an entire shiny shoe - worn by a scary creepy pumpkinhead, accompanied by his burlesque witch in scantily-clad black.

P&G, Hidden Magic Hairspray, Mademoiselle, September, 1965.

Ronrico, Rumkin, 1983.

More witches. P&G's Hidden Magic Hairspray and Ronrico Rum (and their "Rumkin") have eerily similar black witches selling their wares.

Milky Way Candy Bars, "Here Kiddie Kiddie Kiddie!", 1954.

Sun-Maid Raisins, "Trick Or Treat", 1964.

It wouldn't be Halloween without any "trick or treat" ads. These are from Milky Way Candy Bars and Sun-Maid Raisins. I think if you gave out raisins as a treat these days you may run the risk of being egged...??



These next few involve some interesting costume and dress-up.

Smirnoff Martini, Newsweek, 1968.

Smirnoff Vodka, "Frankenstein", 1967.

Two-Page Spread for General Telephone & Electronics (GTE) & Sylvania Incandescent-Fluorescent Bulbs, "Frankenstein", 1970.

GTE shed new light on bad flourescent lighting.

Litronix Calculators, 1975.

Is Dracula doing his best impersonation of Sesame Street's The Count? I don't get this one. Who "sticks their neck out" with a calculator? And why does a Litronix one solve this problem? The convoluted body copy goes some way to help explain it. But I still think it sucks.

Genuine Soil From Dracula's Castle, late 1970's.

Ads like this one featured quite prominently in comics back in the late 70's & early 80's. I don't know how many kids were duped into buying the "Genuine Soil from Dracula's Castle" - complete with "Certificate of Authenticity". And of course, it came in a little coffin-shaped pendant. All for just $9.95!

Panasonic Quintrix II, 1977.

I bet the reception on that box TV along with the screen clarity and color reproduction is frightful.

Elvira for LBMS, 1991.

And I couldn't have a Halloween post without the Mistress of the Dark herself, Elvira.

Here, she's plugging some 1991 era software which "cuts through" all the paperwork - hence the chainsaw visual pun. If only she'd used that metaphorical saw to cut through all that body copy text. And not a single trademark Elvira witty double entendre quip!.