Advertising

Ivory Soap Ad

Advertising is meant to persuade, and the themes and techniques of that persuasion reveal a part of the nation's history. The Museum has preserved advertising campaigns for several familiar companies, such as Marlboro, Alka-Seltzer, Federal Express, Cover Girl, and Nike. It also holds the records of the NW Ayer Advertising Agency and business papers from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Carvel Ice Cream, and other companies. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana comprises thousands of trade cards, catalogs, labels, and other business papers and images dating back to the late 1700s.

Beyond advertising campaigns, the collections encompass thousands of examples of packaging, catalogs, and other literature from many crafts and trades, from engineering to hat making. The collections also contain an eclectic array of advertising objects, such as wooden cigar-store Indians, neon signs, and political campaign ads.

Microsoft LAN Manager Lapel Pin

This rectangular lapel pin has a butterfly clutch clasp. It has a blue background, a gold border, and gold text that reads: Microsoft LAN Manager. The reverse is gold-colored metal and stamped: UNION MADE 65.
Description
This rectangular lapel pin has a butterfly clutch clasp. It has a blue background, a gold border, and gold text that reads: Microsoft LAN Manager. The reverse is gold-colored metal and stamped: UNION MADE 65. The clasp is gold-colored metal.
Compare 2009.3071.704.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2009.3071.705
catalog number
2009.3071.705
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Liberty Loan Pin

Round Liberty Loan pin with metal pin-back. The pin is blue with a white “V” in the center. White text reads “Liberty Loan.” A red, white, and blue plastic ribbon is attached to the pin. Blue text on the white portion reads “Volunteer.”Liberty Loans were part of the U.S.
Description (Brief)
Round Liberty Loan pin with metal pin-back. The pin is blue with a white “V” in the center. White text reads “Liberty Loan.” A red, white, and blue plastic ribbon is attached to the pin. Blue text on the white portion reads “Volunteer.”
Liberty Loans were part of the U.S. government’s effort to sell war bonds (also known as Liberty Bonds) during World War I to defray the expense of war. These bonds were issued by the U.S. Treasury. The First Liberty Bond Act was passed by Congress on April 24, 1917, and the bonds began issuance shortly thereafter.
Much like the use of military insignia to identify its wearer (by association with an organization) and his/her achievements, these pins and buttons were meant to be worn by Americans on the home front during World War I to show their membership in an organization and/or their contribution to a particular war effort, such as the United War Work Campaign. The pins and buttons displayed the wearer’s patriotism and generosity and undoubtedly also served to prompt others to become similarly involved in the various war efforts.
SOURCE:
Treasury Department, Liberty Loan Acts (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1921). books.google.com/books?id=4qFAAAAAYAAJ.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917
maker
American Art Works
ID Number
2006.0098.0266
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0266

Tandon Lapel Pin

This lapel pin is in the shape of the continental United States and has a butterfly clutch clasp.The yellow background is outlined in black.
Description
This lapel pin is in the shape of the continental United States and has a butterfly clutch clasp.The yellow background is outlined in black. Red text reads "Tandon" is above black text that reads "Working Together..." The reverse is of silver-colored metal and reads "CDX 11/89" in black permanent ink. The clasp is dark gold-colored metal.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1989
ID Number
2009.3071.709
catalog number
2009.3071.709
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Button, Aldus Design Team

This square button has white and yellow text on a blue background that reads: Aldus Design Team. It has yellow and red designs on background and in the word “design”.Currently not on view
Description
This square button has white and yellow text on a blue background that reads: Aldus Design Team. It has yellow and red designs on background and in the word “design”.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1990
ID Number
2009.3071.493
catalog number
2009.3071.493
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Futuresoft Button, I Faxed My Congressman

This circular button has black text on an American flag background that reads: I FAXED my Congressman. At the bottom in black is the Futuresoft logo. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Comdex Spring 5/93.Currently not on view
Description
This circular button has black text on an American flag background that reads: I FAXED my Congressman. At the bottom in black is the Futuresoft logo. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Comdex Spring 5/93.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1993
ID Number
2009.3071.494
catalog number
2009.3071.494
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Alacrity Button, Do It On Your Desktop

This circular button has green text on a white background that reads: DO It On Your Desktop (Five Ways!). The 'O' in "DO" is the ALACRITy logo. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Comdex L.V. 11/92.Currently not on view
Description
This circular button has green text on a white background that reads: DO It On Your Desktop (Five Ways!). The 'O' in "DO" is the ALACRITy logo. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Comdex L.V. 11/92.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1992
ID Number
2009.3071.413
catalog number
2009.3071.413
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Apple in ring of pie crust

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930s-1950s
maker
Keppler, Victor
ID Number
PG.006261.LL
catalog number
6261LL
accession number
238737

Microsoft Button, Experience It!

This square button has white and purple text on a yellow background that reads: Microsoft Windows Computing. Experience It! Applications Networking Systems Support. It has the Microsoft Windows logo with an image of a hand reaching towards it.
Description
This square button has white and purple text on a yellow background that reads: Microsoft Windows Computing. Experience It! Applications Networking Systems Support. It has the Microsoft Windows logo with an image of a hand reaching towards it. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads:Spring Comdex '91.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1991
maker
Microsoft Corporation
ID Number
2009.3071.272
catalog number
2009.3071.272
nonaccession number
2009.3071

GigaRak Morton Management Button, I've Got Your Number?

This circular button has blue text on a white background that reads: I've Got Your Number? In black text are the numbers 2326. At the bottom of the button is the Morton Management logo.
Description
This circular button has blue text on a white background that reads: I've Got Your Number? In black text are the numbers 2326. At the bottom of the button is the Morton Management logo. The attached blue ribbon has an image of an old computer and white text that reads: GigaRak Morton Management. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Networld 2/90.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1989
c 1990
ID Number
2009.3071.491
catalog number
2009.3071.491
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Wave Screwdriver

This screwdriver has a silver-colored metal shaft and a flat blade.The hHandle is shaped as a triangular prism in gray and black plastic.Aa white plastic cap firs over the screwdriver head.
Description
This screwdriver has a silver-colored metal shaft and a flat blade.The hHandle is shaped as a triangular prism in gray and black plastic.Aa white plastic cap firs over the screwdriver head. Maroon text on the gray body of the handle reads "Wave" next to a logo; the other two sides of the handle have maroon text and read "Technologies Training" and "1-800-828-2050" respectively.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2009.3071.764
catalog number
2009.3071.764
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Xerox Button, Ask me about AccuText

This circular button has black text on yellow background that reads: Ask me about AccuText. Xerox imaging Systems, Inc. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: MacWorld Boston 8/90.Currently not on view
Description
This circular button has black text on yellow background that reads: Ask me about AccuText. Xerox imaging Systems, Inc. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: MacWorld Boston 8/90.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1990
ID Number
2009.3071.499
catalog number
2009.3071.499
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Diversified Screwdriver

This dcrewdriver has a silver-colored metal shaft and Phillips head. Text in purple on the white plastic handle reads "When in Doubt, Check It Out! (714) 969-7746" with a purple check.
Description
This dcrewdriver has a silver-colored metal shaft and Phillips head. Text in purple on the white plastic handle reads "When in Doubt, Check It Out! (714) 969-7746" with a purple check. Attached to the handle is a silver-colored metal pocket clip with printed text reading: Diversified.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2009.3071.763
catalog number
2009.3071.763
nonaccession number
2009.3071

J. S. Fry & Sons Concentrated Cocoa Container

This small, cardboard box has a multicolored design of a scene of two squirrels in a woodland area. This box was used to store and market Fry's Concentrated Cocoa.J. S. Fry & Sons was a British chocolate company owned by Joseph Storrs Fry and his family.
Description
This small, cardboard box has a multicolored design of a scene of two squirrels in a woodland area. This box was used to store and market Fry's Concentrated Cocoa.
J. S. Fry & Sons was a British chocolate company owned by Joseph Storrs Fry and his family. In 1759, Joseph Fry started making chocolate, with Joseph S. Fry gaining control in 1795. That same year, he patented a modified Watt steam engine used to grind cacao beans. This marked the beginning of the mechanization of chocolate production. In 1847, Fry’s made the first molded chocolate eating bar by removing excess cocoa butter, then slowly adding it back into the melted chocolate. In 1919, J. S. Fry & Sons merged with Cadbury’s, and by the early 1980s, the Fry name was removed from company packaging.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
J. S. Fry & Sons
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80525Z81

Button, Collaborative workgroups do it in real-time! The Virtual Notebook System

This circular button has white text on a blue background that reads: Collaborative workgroups do it in real time! The Virtual Notebook System. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Groupware '93 San Jose 8/10/93.Currently not on view
Description
This circular button has white text on a blue background that reads: Collaborative workgroups do it in real time! The Virtual Notebook System. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: Groupware '93 San Jose 8/10/93.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1993
ID Number
2009.3071.333
catalog number
2009.3071.333
nonaccession number
2009.3071

ZD Classified Advertising Group Button, I'm A Savvy Marketer!

This circular button has a white background on which is a black and white image of a man on the telephone. Red text reads: "I'm A Savvy Marketer!". A blue and yellow "ZD Classified Advertising Group" logo is at the bottom.
Description
This circular button has a white background on which is a black and white image of a man on the telephone. Red text reads: "I'm A Savvy Marketer!". A blue and yellow "ZD Classified Advertising Group" logo is at the bottom. The reverse reads "Spring Comdex '91" in red permanent ink.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1991
ID Number
2009.3071.654
catalog number
2009.3071.654
nonaccession number
2009.3071

HP Button, COMDEX 1992

This square button is designed in style of Piet Mondrian, with squares and rectangles of varying sizes in white, black, yellow, blue and red. A large red section in the lower right-hand corner has black text that reads: COMDEX .
Description
This square button is designed in style of Piet Mondrian, with squares and rectangles of varying sizes in white, black, yellow, blue and red. A large red section in the lower right-hand corner has black text that reads: COMDEX . A yellow rectangle set within the red section with black text reads: CHICAGO.A white rectangle within a red section with black text reads vertically: 1992. A white rectangle in the upper right-hand corner with blue a HP logo and black text reads: HEWLETT PACKARD. A blue rectangle with white text reads vertically: POWERFUL. A white rectangle with black text reads: RELIABLE. A yellow rectangle with black text reads vertically: Friendly. A red section with black text reads curved: INNOVATIVE. White text on alternating blue and black rectangles reads: HP AND ME. A mark on the reverse reads "CDX 4/92" in green ink.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1992
maker
Hewlett-Packard Company
ID Number
2009.3071.634
catalog number
2009.3071.634
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Nantucket Button, McMax

This circular button has black text on a white background that reads: McMax. The word McMax has a blue underline mark below it. It has a black Nantucket logo.Currently not on view
Description
This circular button has black text on a white background that reads: McMax. The word McMax has a blue underline mark below it. It has a black Nantucket logo.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1989
ID Number
2009.3071.246
catalog number
2009.3071.246
nonaccession number
2009.3071

McDonald's Toy Story 2 Premium Bag

This clear plastic McDonald’s® premium toy bag was used to distribute toy #2, “Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head.” The bags were used to package McDonald’s® toys inside the Happy Meal® box.
Description
This clear plastic McDonald’s® premium toy bag was used to distribute toy #2, “Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head.” The bags were used to package McDonald’s® toys inside the Happy Meal® box. The premium bag has Ronald McDonald and the golden arches logo printed on one side and pertinent toy information printed inside a blue box. On the reverse, warning information regarding the toys has been printed for consumers. The Happy Meal® was released in 1979 as a way to package a meal together in a fun, collectible container that appealed to children. Happy Meals® have since become progressively more elaborate in the type of food offered (with various healthier options) and the premiums available with the meal. In 1996, McDonald’s® and Disney signed a 10 year, exclusive partnership agreement where McDonald’s® was able to use Disney characters for Happy Meal® premiums and Disney would receive free promotion of upcoming movies through McDonald’s®. This partnership appeared like a natural fit for the two companies since they had an overlapping market base. From November 26, 1999 through December 23, 1999, McDonald’s® marketed the Toy Story 2 Happy Meal® premiums.
The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1999
ID Number
2012.3045.06
catalog number
2012.3045.06
nonaccession number
2012.3045

Computer Button, What is RUI?

This circular button has red text on a white background that reads: What is RUI ? Find Out At Booth # 2046. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: PC EXPO '90.Currently not on view
Description
This circular button has red text on a white background that reads: What is RUI ? Find Out At Booth # 2046. A mark in black ink on the reverse reads: PC EXPO '90.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c 1990
ID Number
2009.3071.237
catalog number
2009.3071.237
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Tony the Tiger™ Premium Cup

This cup is a plastic Tony the Tiger™ coupon or box-top premium, a prize used to incentivize purchase, made in 1964 by F. F. Mold & Die Works, Inc. Tony the Tiger™ made his advertising debut in 1952 as the cartoon mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®.
Description
This cup is a plastic Tony the Tiger™ coupon or box-top premium, a prize used to incentivize purchase, made in 1964 by F. F. Mold & Die Works, Inc. Tony the Tiger™ made his advertising debut in 1952 as the cartoon mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®. The Kellogg’s company was formed in 1906 by Will Keith Kellogg and the introduction of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes®. Since then, Kellogg’s has grown into a multi-national company, owing much of its success on growing and expanding their product base as consumer demands changed through the years.
date made
1964
maker
F. F. Mold & Die Works, Inc.
ID Number
2012.0076.30
accession number
2012.0076
catalog number
2012.0076.30

Microsoft LAN Manager Lapel Pin

This rectangular lapel pin has a butterfly clutch clasp. It has a blue background, a gold border, and gold text that reads: Microsoft LAN Manager. The reverse is gold-colored metal and stamped: UNION MADE DISTRICT 65 SIMCO NV UAW.
Description
This rectangular lapel pin has a butterfly clutch clasp. It has a blue background, a gold border, and gold text that reads: Microsoft LAN Manager. The reverse is gold-colored metal and stamped: UNION MADE DISTRICT 65 SIMCO NV UAW. The clasp is gold-colored metal.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2009.3071.704
catalog number
2009.3071.704
nonaccession number
2009.3071

Lumber Scale

Celluloid lumber and cement scale. It is rectangular with two interior dials and is printed in blue and red. One side calculates the quantity of materials requred to make one cubic yard of rammed concrete.
Description (Brief)
Celluloid lumber and cement scale. It is rectangular with two interior dials and is printed in blue and red. One side calculates the quantity of materials requred to make one cubic yard of rammed concrete. The other side calculates the number of feet boards contained in various sizes of lumber. Lehigh Cement Company was founded in 1897.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1920
advertiser
Lehigh Portland Cement Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0523
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0523

Lapel Pin Advertising Compaq

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Compaq
ID Number
1987.3128.082
nonaccession number
1987.3128
catalog number
1987.3128.082

W. H. Baker's Cocoa Tin

This yellow and brown container once held W. H. Baker's drinking cocoa. The front contains a multi-colored design of a woman sipping chocolate.William Henry Baker formed his cocoa business in 1893 near Winchester, Virginia. There were at least two legal battles between W. H.
Description
This yellow and brown container once held W. H. Baker's drinking cocoa. The front contains a multi-colored design of a woman sipping chocolate.
William Henry Baker formed his cocoa business in 1893 near Winchester, Virginia. There were at least two legal battles between W. H. Baker and Walter Baker & Co (or Baker’s Chocolate) of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Baker’s believed W. H. Baker was fraudulently trying to capitalize on the Baker name and intentionally mislead customers who had intended to buy Baker’s Chocolate but were being sold W. H. Baker’s Chocolate. In each instance, W. H. Baker was required to change his packaging to clearly highlight the difference between Baker's Chocolate and W. H. Baker's Chocolate. When he passed away in 1915, the business passed to his sons, who sold it to another confectionary company which went out of business in the 1930s.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80528Z72

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