This isn’t the Norton security folks; it’s the Norton blanket folks. Linus would be confused.
Fun fact: Believe it or not, blankets are named after Thomas Blanket.
Or… Maybe Thomas Blanket was named after blankets.
Then again… Sigh. History is hard.
I think the most precious bit in the body copy is “…what machines do automatically, operators cannot do wrong.” LOL.
Fun facts: The first mechanical cash register was named “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier”. The year was 1879. The reason? Skimming bartenders.
If you ever saw “No Sale” pop up on an old cash register, it means the till drawer was opened without a transaction taking place.
National Cash Register is now known as NCR and was once part of AT&T.
Some White Motor history at the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. It’s not every day that a company makes the switch from sewing machines to trucks.
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Just imagine not having to fill the ad with a stock photo of smiling children.
Fun facts: What did people use before toothpaste? Charred eggshells were just one of the lovely options.
The Giant Armadillo has more teeth than any other land mammal — up to 100!
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Avon calling.
Fun facts: The first Avon Representative was Mrs. P.F.E. Albee in 1886.
There were one million Avon Representatives by 1978.
On a personal note, there are two perfumes that have seduced me at pivotal moments in my life. Avon’s Odyssey is one of them.
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This ad has a pretty utilitarian headline in the innovation/differentiation/unique-selling-proposition/how-will-it-improve-your-life vein, but once you get into the body copy, it’s a golden-age masterpiece of copywriting.
Fun fact: The snooze alarm was invented in 1956.
While we’re at it, here’s a 2,000-year history of alarm clocks thanks to Atlas Obscura.
Hey babe, are you into horology?
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Don’t you hate it when you buy a full-page ad with minimal copy and lots of glorious white space and you forget to proofread the headline?
Fun fact: This record was originally pressed in gold vinyl.
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Something for the auto buffs: Why Packard Died
Want a Packard of your very own? Looks like a 1929 Packard 645 Deluxe Eight goes for an average of $212,926 these days. What a bargain!
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A little Cheez Whiz in that sammich, and she’d be marryin’ material.
Fun facts: Wonder Bread’s name was inspired by hot air balloons.
No money was exchanged for Wonder Bread’s prominent brand use in Sony Picture’s Talladega Nights.
Horseradish is neither a radish nor a horse.
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Fun fact: The earliest known cigar is from an image on a 10th century Mayan pot. So if cavemen smoked cigars, they probably used their caves as humidors, but this is purely speculation on my part.
Another fun fact: It’s also highly unlikely cavemen ever used clubs.
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Trivia: A skilled male cigar roller is called a torcedor.
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