It's always fascinating to look back at print ads from yesteryears as they serve as a window into the past and what values and attitudes were acceptable back then. Even though I think you shouldn't judge work from the past with today's value (look up presentism), I'm going to do that anyway with some of the following vintage ads for your entertainment.
Get drunk for the country
These two ads from Boon Rawd Brewery contain a somewhat xenophobic attitude. The one on the left claims that their made-in-Bangkok beer contains no chemicals, unlike the ones imported across the sea. The right one is less subtle with a slogan that goes, "It's better to drink Thai beers instead of foreign ones. If not, then you don't support Thailand." There's no marketing tool more effective than guilt-tripping someone to buy your products with patriotism, right?
Whitening Cream is Nothing New
These two ads for whitening creams prove that the whitening craze in Thailand is a thing since many moons ago. The ad for Emen Pearl cream claimed to whiten your face within three days while Meei Yueh cream from Taiwan claimed to turn your face super-duper white. The Thai FDA of today won't approve of such claims.
Not-so-body-positive Ad
The tagline simply asks the ladies, "When you're too fat to be beautiful, it's time to take Revicaps." Need I say anything more?
Gonorrhea Cure for Gents
This ad for Rebail, which claims to be able to cure gonorrhea in five days may not be so strange but it begs the questions: What kind of publication carried such ads and how common was the STD back then?. Also, it was clearly marketed for men as it promises to cure inflammation of your "kidney, bladder and 'sh*ft'" and prevented the disease from being passed on to the next generation. Did we have a lad mag, back then?
Quest for Eternal Youth
I save the most curious for last. Sinkesin keeps it real with potential customers by optimistically starting their lengthy copy with "It's true that we all gonna die..." before making an analogy between human bodies and machines, and convincing you to buy hormone-rejuvenating pills containing the extract of "mysterious leaf-eating monkeys' sex glands" in order to enhance yours. Golden boxes for men while silver boxes for women.
