12 Outrageous Racist Vintage Ads

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"My skin is dark but my heart is white", the ultimate racist phrase on this ad portraying First Nations -apparently- willing to support Canadian Patriotic Fund. (Link)


Racist ad for Aunt Jemima's Pancakes, the most famous self-rising pancake mix of old times, created in 1889 by Chris L. Rutt. He might have thought: what a better way to present my product than a jolly ex-slave who lived on a Louisiana plantation and made great flapjacks for her masters? (Link)


Wait a minute, is this a cruel joke or what? This ad for N.K. Fairbank Co. soaps portrays a white girl asking a black girl "Why doesn't your mamma wash you with fairy soap?" Mamma mia... really shameful!


Here, a 'This Week in Atlanta' magazine ad from November 19, 1967 where we can see Cotton Watts, a comedian who used to perform in black face in the 1960s. (Link)     This Van Heusen ad is from 1952 and it says "4 out of 5 men want Oxfords...in these new Van Heusen styles." (Link)

In this Sal Hepatica ad we can see a couple of just married love-birds enjoying their honeymoon. If you think the pictures hide some racist message, read the last line of the dialogue: "Lets tip that porter double for telling us about Sal Hepatica". (Link)
This 1924 Maxwell House Coffee ad is another example of racism in publicity. This one features a black servant in coffee-serving duties. (Link)
Looking at this "Bull Durham" tobacco ad, makes me think of those huge tobacco plantations of old times, and the controversial role of black people there. (Link)
Here, another example of how racism was considered even kind of cool in old times. (Link)
Not only racist but freaky! "Colored kids make a costume vastly more attractive" Can somebody explain this to me? Is this supposed to be cheeky or something? And why does the girl look like a 50 year old pervert??!

Notfrom our readers: The ad is using wordplay. In this case that means it is blending two different meanings for certain words: "colored" and "kids". The problem is it doesn't make sense to us today unless we understand the old meaning of the words as they used them back then...

We all know about the old meaning of "colored" meaning blacks (and other non-white races) but it also meant (and still means) dyed a custom and/or non-natural color.

The word "kids" was old slang for kidskin boots. Kind of like today we sometimes say "kicks" meaning shoes.

Knowing this its easy to see that the ad is just selling lady's boots made of soft goatskin that has been dyed. The wordplay then is blending the real meaning (dyed kidskin boots) with the other meaning (little black children) to try and make the ad seem clever.

Finally, in those days the word "costume" did not just mean like Halloween costume but also was often used when talking about a fancy dress ensemble. There is no wordplay here, its just a use of the word that was common then but not now.

So when the ad says "Colored kids make a costume vastly more attractive" you just translate that to mean "Dyed kidskin boots make your fancy outfit look great". (Link)
Cream of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey ad, portraying two well known stereotypes! (Link)
Here, another racist vintage ad for "Darkey in a Watermelon". (Link)

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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Soap ad
by Katie R on 12/21/2009
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I've seen quite a few soap ads with jokes like this one. Just a note, though: Those are boys. They(...)[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]"Colored Kids"
by Conformist138 on 12/20/2009
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actually, if you read the ad copy, the ad is not for kid gloves but shoes made from dyed kid. the ma(...)[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Black in White? Obama
by Maciek on 12/19/2009
1 votes
Well, Russian contribution to Obama mania... quite a rebours. Black in White...
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Colacao - Spain Advertisement
by Sandra on 12/19/2009
0 votes
The "negritos" make the colacao so that the swimmer, boxer and the kids (who are all white) can enjo(...)
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]re: colored kids make any costume more attractive.
by Cait on 12/19/2009
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The "colored kids" in the ad refer to the woman's dyed kid gloves.......an expensive fashion accesso(...)[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Terrible Revolver Ad
by Mars on 12/19/2009
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What actually shocking me from this vintage ad is the words printed on the "dead" girl's shirt ?Papa(...)
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Imperial Pears Soap Ad
by Devan Boomen on 12/19/2009
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Another porter
by John on 5/27/2010
1 votes
I was a little surprised not to see this one.[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Jimbo's Fresh Produce
by Polly on 5/7/2010
5 votes
Saw this in Yokohama, Japan, at an "American House" restaurant along with several other vintage ads.(...)[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]2006 PlayStation Portable racist ad
by Flash1088 on 4/20/2010
12 votes
In 2006 Sony released a series of ads about the then upcoming white version of their black portable (...)
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Chlorinol Soda Bleaching
by Dan Active on 2/25/2010
6 votes
Almost hate to contribute more to this collection, but this one must be included.[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]4 Racist Ads/Products Placed After 2008
by Shaan on 1/11/2010
3 votes
Who would have guessed in 2010 racist ads would still be a topic of conversation? The people who mak(...)
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Old Finnish Betting Ad
by Johnson on 12/29/2009
0 votes
In English: Only the African Ni**er does not BET Everybody else bets and gets BETTING WI(...)[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Ya bon Banania
by Ben on 12/29/2009
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Old commercial represent a "Tirailleur Sénégalais" (foreign man in first line at war), ant the term (...)[/td][/tr]
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[tr][td][/td][td=1,1,5][/td][td]Negro Head Oysters
by Indigo on 12/27/2009
1 votes
Incredibly, this product used to be even MORE racist than it is now... look at what it used to be ca(...)
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changkatlobak

orang putih memang ganas

ChildrenOfBodom

BotakChinPeng

Not impressed

starbee

motif mmg wujud isu perkauman dlm mana2 sudut dunia nie. isu aparteid bkn merujuk kpd kaum kulit putih dan hitam ttp warna kulit2 lain...

ChildrenOfBodom

hok ni bukan iklan tp gambar biasa, buat mata sepet


miley cyrus



spanish basketball team

linsh

racist as if they r better off..hmphh!