On a trip to the States last year, I stayed in an airbnb flat in Washington and was pleased to find a stack of coffee-stained magazines from the 60s. Flicking through, it struck me how accomplished, persuasive and charming the ad copy was, in comparison with most of what we read today. It’s not uncommon to find two or three cracking one-liners (I’ve underlined some) in each.

Reading these, I can’t help feeling that our ads have become lazy. Way too many brands that simply don’t suit epic, life-affirming campaigns (no names mentioned Nurofen. Everyone takes ibuprofen, not just those who “live a great story”) are passing up the chance for some good old seduction. I would’ve considered a Buick Opel for that horsepower line alone.

Here’s one for Contac, a brand of aspirin.

What every aspirin taker should know about Contac.

You can’t beat aspirin. For aches. For fever.
But if you nurse colds on aspirin alone, here’s what you’re missing: Relief from drippy sniffles. Relief from messy, germ-spreading sneezes. Relief from the miseries of a stuffy nose.
On the other hand…
If you catch your cold early with Contac – and keep up the Contac throughout your cold – you can head off these bothersome symptoms before they take over. You may never even feel the worst part of your cold.
Get Contac at your pharmacy. And try taking it early. You’ll be amazed at how much of your miserable cold you can miss.

Now for some whisky-

One sip and you’ll know why we want everyone to know just who it is that makes this Bourbon.
We put a lot of art and science into the making of this Bourbon. During every step of the distilling process, we’re always checking and double-checking. What do we get for our troubles? The same thing you get. A more faultless and better tasting Bourbon. Remember our name. “Canada Dry Bourbon”. (It’s not the kind of folksy name Bourbon-drinkers are used to, but it sure leaves a good taste in your mouth.)

Actually, whisky seems to be one of the few products that’s held onto “old fashioned”, long-form copy. This recent one for JD shares a few similarities with Canada Dry.

Of course we all know about VW’s iconic style, but here’s one – just because it’s lovely to read.

Pick the right day to test drive a VW and you’ll have the road to yourself.

Back when the weather was better, everyone was inviting you to come in and test drive their new whatevers. But now that the weather isn’t so hot (and a test drive is really a test), the invitations have dropped off sharply.
Now maybe you can spare a little time to try out the new Volkswagen.
Not right this minute. Wait for a nice lousy day. The next time it’s snowing or slushing or something like that, drive down to your VW dealer. (If you can make it in your car.)
He’ll be happy to take you out and show you how a Volkswagen works when hardly anything else does.
How the weight of the motor on the rear wheels makes the VW dig in and go, in the snow or the mud, or even on ice.
As you pass all the stranded cars that passed their test drives in balmier days, he’ll tell you about the VW’s other cold-weather comforts.
The air-cooled motor. It doesn’t freeze over, so it doesn’t need anti-freeze or a winter thermostat.
And if you have to leave the car out on a cold wet night, it’s got four coats of paint and a sealed bottom to keep it cozy.
You’ve even got an edge with a Volkswagen if the worst happens and you get stuck.
What could be easier to push?

And something a little more affordable for the twentysomethings:

Could it be because the Opel Kadett is General Motors’ lowest-priced car? That and much more. Opels are sold and serviced by more than 1200 Buick-Opel Dealers throughout America.
Opel’s new Sport Coupe has smart fastback styling yet offers standard features other car buyers pay extra for. Like all-vinyl bucket seats, wall-to-wall carpeting, clock, front and rear ashtrays and armrests.
Like safety-features including a telescoping lower steering shaft, four-way hazard warning system, front and rear seat belts and front seatback latches. Opel’s 54 horse powerplant runs on peanuts.
Popular? Good-looking? Easy on the pocketbook? All of these. If you want a car that looks and acts more expensive than it is, see your Buick-Open dealer. He may play our elephant song for you.

And finally, an ode to electric living, from the Edison Institute.

Flameless home heating – so cozy and clean – is part of the joy of Total Electric Living.

What happens when you change to modern flameless electric heat?
You get flameless heat that’s gentle, even and truly comfortable. Heat that’s as clean and quiet as electric light. Your whole home stays clean – curtains, walls, window sills…everything.
And no heating system is as dependable and efficient. Maintenance and repairs stay low because there are few or no moving parts. And fuel dollars are not wasted up the chimney in smoke.
Automatic flameless heating offers you the widest variety of systems to choose from, many with individual room temperature control.
So make a clean break with the past…and old-fashioned fuel-fired systems. Check into the modern benefits of flameless electric home heating.
More than 2,500,000 families have already found electric heating reasonable to own and operate. And there’s a system to fit any home.
Talk it over with your electric utility company – and start on your way to the joy of Total Electric Living.