Modernize with Mack

Because it seems that car ads are by far in the majority we decided to investigate that category some more and visited a collector with a very large (approx. 50.000) collection of car advertisements. The collection is not limited to ordinary cars, but includes truck, ambulances, fire engines and other utility vehicles and has ads from approx. 1890-1980.

With his help we found some very nice examples which helped fill some gaps: 2 very early ads (1901, 1905) and three later than 1979.

Again, we found support for our theory that there was a peak in the late 1920s, early 1930s and another peak in the 1950s.

We'll go into that some more in the article (due to appear on-line in February 2020), but for now I'd like to share some really nice Mack fire engine ads from 1947-1953.

[1] Modern Living series, for more info follow this link

Modern pancakes

One of the more challenging subjects to be labeled as modern is food.

Modern potatoes? Modern vegetables? Modern eggs?

So far, the only examples we found refer to the modern packaging used for the product or the modern factory where it's made.

Pillsbury in 1930 goes one step further and talks about their "modern pancakes".

Breakfast should be good news as well as good food

try this modern kind of pancake

Pillsbury Pancake Flour, SEP April 19, 1930

"Pillsbury made a discovery - Pillbury's Pancake Flour contains a new kind of flour, unusually soft, fine and delicate. It makes lighter pancakes, more tender, more delicious, easy to digest. Much better than the old-fashioned kind - truly modern pancakes."

Earlier in the text the ad stresses the importance of  'good health, good digestion', hence a pancake that is easy to digest must be good for you. Pepsi Cola uses a similar strategy in their series of ads from the 1950's where Pepsi is praised as a "modern, light refreshment". More about this in another blogpost.


[1] Modern Living series, for more info follow this link