Quirky ads from yesteryear

It's the equivalent of looking at baby pictures: to celebrate Hong Kong Tatler's 40th Anniversary, we've been rummaging through the archives. Aside from the fabulous society photos, there were a few adverts in the old issues that really caught our eye.  

These are our favourites from the 70s, from the wonderfully vintage to the downright weird. 


 

1978 Oct faces haircraft ads.jpg

This is the face of a woman who is not handling her Hong Kong humidity hair (October 1978).


 

1978 feb imperial cigs.jpgWe're not totally sure what the relationship is between waterskiing and cigarettes, but it certainly made us look twice (February 1978).


 

Nikon Resize.jpg

We wonder what this camera would say to all those smartphone photographers (December 1978).


 

1978 june mead .jpg

Immediately contradicting yourself isn't a great start to an ad (or muddling your Scottish vigilantes with British Beefeaters), but it's certainly an excellent headline (June 1978).


 

1978 Oct Chloe ad.jpg

The Alice In Wonderland of perfume ads? (October 1978).


 

1979 sept cheese swissair.jpg

We like the elemental status cheese is given in Swissair's part creepy, mostly hilarious ad (September 1979).


 

1979 november lane crawford.jpg

Lane Crawford hit the (silver) nail on the head with this one (November 1979).


 

March 1978 Joy perfume.jpg

Other than being expensive, we're not really sure what the virtues are of this perfume based on this ad—although hindsight is 20:20 and we're glad sampled the "Scent of the Century" back in its heydey (March 1978).


 

May 1978 gordon's gin.jpg

Gordon's Gin dare to bare, with what can only be described as the Instagrammable beach-pic we all wish we had (May 1978). 


See also: Familiar Faces From The 90s

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