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IN BRIAN MCMAHON’S opinion, old adverts can paint a unique picture of business in Ireland through the decades.
Over a number of years, the collector has compiled a comprehensive collection of iconic ad clippings from stacks of newspapers and magazines for his archive Brand New Retro.
“It’s a social study looking at the adverts. For instance there are a lot of adverts from the late-1960s for motorbikes because this was a time when people couldn’t afford cars,” he tells Fora.
“The 1960s is known for being the golden age of advertising and you see that is true from Irish adverts back then. There was sustained economic advancement and emigration stopped. It was an optimistic time.”
According to McMahon, when the 1980s came along there was a sudden drop off in creativity in the Irish advertising sector as technology advanced.
They started to realise you could send over international pictures instead of producing them here.
“By the end of the 1980s, advertisers started using more desktop publishing tools like computers for design and the standard dropped then. Before that they would have been handcrafted and artists would have mocked up the ads – you can see the difference.”
Below are a handpicked selection of iconic Irish adverts from the past 100-plus years:
Power’s Whiskey – 1893
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The above advert featured in a souvenir booklet distributed at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. A team of craftsmen from the John Power & Sons’ John’s Lane Distillery travelled from Dublin to Chicago to create the life-sized replica of the O’Connell monument in Glasnevin using bottles of Power’s Gold Label.
ESB – 1920s
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In its early days, ESB advertised heavily to educate the public about the merits of electricity. The firm even welcomed visitors to its Shannon works and established a guide bureau at Limerick to facilitate the crowds.
Barry’s Tea – 1935
This advert was circulated in the 1930s to generate some interest for the popular Irish brand Barry’s Tea. Up until the 1960s, the firm’s teas, which were sourced from India and Sri Lanka, were predominantly sold in the company’s shop on Princes Street in Cork.
Tayto Crisps – 1960s
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Tayto Crisps has always had an interesting approach to advertising – see Mr Tayto’s general election campaign in 2007. This “real” potato in the 1960s became famous when it was the centre of an advertising campaign because it was thought to closely resemble Mr Tayto himself.
Aer Lingus – 1962
Aer Lingus was first set up in 1936 and became the national carrier in the same year. But the outbreak of the Second World War curtailed its expansion until 1945. The above advert perfectly sums up what was a very different era for air travel.
RTÉ – 1963
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As the state broadcaster agitates for increased licence fee revenues amid high evasion rates, it’s interesting to note that getting people to pay for its services has been a focus for RTÉ for decades.
Brown Thomas – 1966
The Brown Thomas bag has become an iconic marketing tool for the store over the years, but it has clearly undergone a bit of a redesign over the past 50 years.
Dunnes Stores – 1966
Established in the 1940s, Dunnes Stores now has over 150 outlets and has been in the clothing retail space since it started. This advert from 1966 is from a campaign to promote the firm’s own brand called St Bernard.
Ulster Bank – 1966
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Ulster Bank has been around since the 1830s and is now one of the country’s largest lenders. In the 1960s, the bank expanded into the suburbs of Dublin and started to advertise widely after it adopted a new entwined U and B logo.
Yamaha – 1969
As McMahon explained, motorbike adverts in the late-1960s were widespread as people who couldn’t afford a car looked for means of motorised transport. The ad copy – “yes, Yamaha make a bike for girls too” – is as clearly dated as the fashion.
Penneys – 1969
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One of the most iconic clothing retailers in Ireland, Penneys has grown to over 300 outlets worldwide and is a staple of Irish shopping centres and high streets. This advert is from a simpler time when the company was still taking its baby steps.
Guinness – 1971
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As we enter the 1970s, adverts became much more colourised. This from Guinness appeared in a Woman’s Own magazine and tries to entice readers to “listen to that soothing gluggle as it fills the glass” after the children have been put to bed.
Silk Cut – 1978
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Tobacco marketing has probably gone through the most dramatic change over the past few decades as advertising laws cracked down on how producers showcase their products. The above advert features some notable Irish sites including the Ha’penny Bridge.
Smithwick’s – 1980
Another example of a modern advert in the 1980s as industry became more advanced. This ad was released the same year the beer brand started exporting to France.
Ballygowan Water – 1984
It wasn’t that long ago when people were skeptical about buying bottled water when they could get it for free from the tap. This advert is from 1984, only three years after Ballygowan Water was founded, and was part of the brand’s first big advertising campaign.
Alias Tom – 1984
This advert was for clothing store Alias Tom, the Grafton Street retailer that’s still in business to this day. At the time, Eurovision winner Johnny Logan was front and centre of the store’s marketing campaign.
Mosney – 1984
In 1984, this marketing material for Mosney was released to promote the Meath-based holiday centre’s new computer centre called the Atari Computer Base.
Ryanair – 1988
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It seems like the airline has been around forever, but Ryanair only splashed onto the scene in 1985. You can see the Irish airline had a combative approach to its marketing, even in the early days.
Internet Eireann – 1995
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And to round it all off, here’s an early advert for one of the first internet providers in Ireland – as you can see, it’s a case of information overload for the Information Age.
You can view more of the Brand New Retro iconic adverts collection here.
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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Am sick to death of people buying dogs. Go to a shelter and adopt. I’ve never bought a dog and have always had fabulous family pets for years and years. Ban breeding until the adoption centres are emptied.
@Ali123: Impossible to adopt at a shelter. They all require no other dogs, no kids and so on. No wonder only few people are adopting. It’s near impossible.
@Alex: … And your personal details before you’ve even seen the dog. We used to adopt pre loved dogs but no more, too many covid puppies or “emotional supports” crippled by their owners.
@Alex: Only for certain breeds and you probably shouldn’t be trying to adopt those with young kids..
@Rochelle Hart: not true. I had to try about five shelters which wouldn’t let me adopt any dogs, didn’t matter what breed purely because I lived in the countryside and had no fencing around 100 % of my boundary. Apparently shelters only want people who live in estates
@Alex: smack on
Ireland is one of the MOST UNFRIENDLY countries in the EU for pets !!! On top of it animal rights and animal cruelty is shocking, everywhere and goes unpunished! – I often see kids with puppies as toys ! I have 3 dogs and they are our family !
@Flora Baes: dogs are well … dogs. I don’t get this ‘family’ stuff.
People in the rental market should automatically be allowed pets! Every ad is no smoking, no pets. Then they keep the deposit. That’s just how Ireland runs!
@Chutes: Is it no smoking within the walls of the house/ apartment..
Fair enough..
@Chutes: So #any deposit held must be justified and explained to the Tenancy Board…and the Tenancy Board favours the tenant but tries to reach a fair conclusion…conclusion is the operative word…
It is counterproductive when these rehoming centres charge more than buying from the adverts for sale. The non negotiable donations on top of the removing fees are a joke.
@Sickof thisshit: how much are we talking? It’s a good cause though as it looks after the other dogs and cats right.
@Sickof thisshit: They need the money as they couldn’t operate otherwise, despite all the volunteers who give their time. I would urge anyone to adopt from a shelter rather than buy from a breeder
@Basildon Joe: holy moly Joe, we’re on the same page! Though you’re no more from Basildon than I am from Barking
@Kevin Kerr: fair play kev, have to take care of gods creatures. Left Essex a long time ago
@Basildon Joe: 250 to cover costs ,fair.+ 100 mandatory donations. It’s not encouraging..
@Basildon Joe: nice one Joe
@Basildon Joe: Average €100
@Sickof thisshit: the shelters charge a more than fair cost to cover vaccinations, chipping and spaying. Dogs may also have needed vet attention for illnesses, fleas etc. The only reason “breeders” can charge less is because the mother dog and puppies never get seen by a vet…. and they’ve numerous breeding females getting no break in puppy production. If you can’t afford the 200 – 300 to adopt a dog then don’t buy one anywhere else or you’re supporting puppy farms.
@Sickof thisshit: the shelter where I got mine only asked for a donation there was no set price.
I wish could adopt another dog… I just don’t have the space. My present dog would love a playmate and doggie friend.☹️
Looking at the age and profile of people walking dogs are they a substitute for babies?
On a serious note I live close to two primary schools and the amount of dog poo on the footpaths is disgusting. This is not so noticeable in the summer but come the darker mornings and evenings it is a daily occurrence.
@Vincent Alexander: Nothing as vile as pet owners allowing their pets to foul footh paths which are used by children and all citizens who have a right not to walk in dog squirt..so man up all you dog lovers and scoop the squirt into the nearest bin..Thank you
Vet fees are just too much to pay these days even if the dog is already neutered and vaccinated by the shelter. There is the yearly checkup and random health incidents during which vets invariably find some other condition to add to the fees . Then there’s the cost of flea and worm treatment . It’s just too expensive to keep a pet these days. If they had a system of ensuring that the shelter pay for the health checks etc I’m sure more people would take pets on
@Angela Doe: just get pet insurance and most vet costs are covered
@Angela Doe: so true my own rescue dog who is not well at the moment and vet said xrays circa € 1200. Jesus no wonder the rescue centres are packed
@Margaret Deacon: on our experience we tried that with our cats and when we needed it there were so many caveats such the age of the cats and the type of care they needed so it was a waste of money
Shelters make it incredibly difficult to adopt, the DSPCA make people jump through an insane amount of hoops, rules, checks etc, way over the top
@Ciara: They have to ensure as much as possible that the adopted animals don’t land back in the shelter or in another one.
@socheallaigh: How?
If I “borrowed” my brother’s house for the home check, how does their rules prevent the dig from being returned?
If you’re not prepared to spend time looking after a dog, just get a cat. Feed it well, let it inside a bit (warm itself when it’s cold) ; otherwise, just leave it live it’s own life. Very affectionat animals once you’re friends with them.
@offside again: cats don’t have friends, they have servants!
@offside again: What do you mean ‘let it inside a bit to warm its self when it’s cold’? A cat feels the cold and wet just like a dog. It’s you can have a warm bed for a cat, then don’t have one! My girls are in every night, sleeping on the sofa. They are part of our family!
@Angie O Donnell: If you can’t have a warm bed.
@Angie O Donnell: my cat has a place for himself to sleep in the shed next door where he is safe from the really wild ones that roam around now and again.
@offside again: and without a doubt, he goes roaming himself.
I’ll visit and see if they have anything nice. If it’s meant to be a connection will be made.
@Basildon Joe: Is the one eyed, three legged mongrel called lucky in with a shot or are people only looking at them with curiosity and bewilderment.
@Charles Mc Carthy: Will consider the ropey ones if they don’t piss everywhere
have your say