Additional Coverage:
- 15 Vintage Fast-Food Ads From Simpler Times (blog.cheapism.com)
A Blast from the Fast Food Past: Retro Ads That Will Make You Hungry (or Maybe Just Confused)
Fast food advertising has always been a wild ride, but things were really different back in the day. Forget viral TikTok trends and celebrity collaborations, these vintage fast food ads showcase a different era of marketing, complete with some truly questionable choices.
A Finger Lickin’ Fortune? The Original KFC Menu (1952)
This 1952 KFC menu may look like a bargain compared to today’s prices, but for the 1950s, it seems surprisingly steep. Looks like The Colonel was a luxury back then!
Taco Bell’s 99-Cent Fiesta
Any five items for 99 cents? Now that’s a deal! This Taco Bell ad is so old, it’s from a time before area codes were even a thing.
Burger King’s “Whopper” (circa 1960s)
Those quotation marks around “Whopper” and “Coke” are raising some eyebrows. It’s giving “vegan chicken” vibes.
The Big Mac Makes its Debut (Late 1960s)
This ad from the Big Mac’s 1967 launch features a handsome burger, but the copy is a bit bewildering. Why is it “disguised” as a meal? And who calls a burger a sandwich?!
Shamrock Shake Shenanigans
This vintage Shamrock Shake ad features a train full of leprechauns, a harp-playing conductor, and a shake that looks suspiciously like a trash can. It’s certainly memorable.
Captain Crook and the Missing Sea Bag (1975)
This McDonald’s ad highlights the Captain Crook sandwich (with cheese inexplicably on the bottom) and some very tempting McDonaldland cookies.
Burger King’s Unpleasant Surprise (1976)
Pro tip: surprising someone with a Burger King meal is not a romantic gesture. It’s more like finding a parking ticket on your windshield.
Onion Nuggets: Gone But Not Forgotten (1978-1979)
McDonald’s Onion Nuggets were a brief but brilliant innovation. These battered onion spheres solved the age-old problem of the onion slipping out of its ring. Bring them back!
Free Razors with Your Fries? (1978, 1986)
McDonald’s gave away razors with meals not once, but twice! Let’s hope they had some sort of age verification system in place.
McDonald’s: Unexpectedly “Nutritious” (1983)
This ad boldly proclaims McDonald’s food to be “nutritious.” We’re not sure what nutritional guidelines they were following back then.
Arby’s: The Key to a Healthy Lifestyle? (1985)
Apparently, the secret to good health in 1985 was a pile of Arby’s roast beef sandwiches. Who knew?
Salad Mania at McDonald’s (1987)
This bizarre ad features two women coincidentally eating McDonald’s salads at the same time while discussing them on the phone. The logistics are mind-boggling.
Wendy’s SuperBar: Too Much of a Good Thing? (1988-1998)
Wendy’s SuperBar offered a plethora of toppings, but maybe they went a little overboard. Putting toppings on the outside of a burrito? No thanks.
Table Service at Burger King: A Royal Flop (1992-1994)
Burger King briefly experimented with table service, but it turns out nobody wants to be waited on at a fast-food joint.
The Burger King Kid’s Club: A 90s Throwback
This ad for the Burger King Kid’s Club features a group of kids who look suspiciously like the X-Men. A fun bit of nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the 90s.
Read More About This Story:
- 15 Vintage Fast-Food Ads From Simpler Times (blog.cheapism.com)