20 Vintage Christmas Food Ads That Take You Back

Revisit vintage holiday ads from your favorite food and drink brands including Coca-Cola, Campbell's Soup and Ritz Crackers.

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vintage cocacola ad
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Santa’s Workshop

Even Santa needs a Coca-Cola, the “pause that refreshes,” while he’s hard at work preparing all those toys for Christmas. The cheerful, colorful ad was published in 1952. Flash back to the past with these vintage home appliance ads.

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vintage Del monte ad
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Family-Size Flavor

Don’t fret about running out of catsup with Del Monte’s new family size bottle. This Santa-themed promotion from 1962 told grocery shoppers that they could try a bottle for free if they mailed in the label.

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egg nog pie ad
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Perfect Pie Crust

This 1946 ad for Spry Vegetable Shortening featured a tempting eggnog pie recipe. Decades ago, Spry was a competitor of Crisco. Psst—here are our best-kept secrets for homemade pie crust.

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vintage Christmas Candy ad
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Christmas Candy

Stock up on Karo Syrup to make fantastic candy confections at Christmastime. Times have changed since 1962, but we still love that popcorn tree decorated with gumdrops!

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vintage kelloggs ad
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Marshmallow World

Rice Krispie Marshmallow Treats have delighted families for generations. This 1968 ad shows five fun ways to shape the cereal, from snowmen to toy animals. Try more delicious recipes that use Rice Krispies.

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vintage C and H ad
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Home Baked Gifts

We definitely agree with this 1971 ad for C and H brown sugar—the best gifts are homemade. The C&H brand (the initials stand for California and Hawaii, where the sugar was originally grown) is still around today for your holiday baking needs. These food gift ideas are perfect for anyone on your list.

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vintage christmas ad
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Waiting for Santa

Nearly 100 years after Cream of Wheat published this heartwarming advertisement, kids around the world are still dreaming of gifts from Santa Claus. These two tots got all tuckered out waiting up for St. Nick in 1922.

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vintage campbells soup ad
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Stock Up on Soup

Busy moms know that there’s always a million things on our to-do list as the holidays draw near. This 1940s Campbell’s Soup ad promises to reduce the hustle and bustle just a little by making mealtime fast and easy. If the holidays have you harried, try these Christmas slow cooker recipes.

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vintage maxwell house ad
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Put the Coffee On

On a white Christmas, warm up with a pot of Maxwell House Coffee. “Toward Evening,” a snowy landscape painting by American artist Ernest Fiene, graces this 1946 advertisement. Find the spirit of the season in these old-fashioned Christmas towns.

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vintage pepsi commercial
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Light and Bright

Decorating is hard work—especially if you’re wearing a glamorous gown. So in the 1950s “merry people” could enjoy a light, refreshing Pepsi-Cola, without guilt over calories. If you love retro style, deck the halls with these awesome vintage Christmas decorations.

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vintage soda ad
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Soda in Every Stocking

Every stocking, from mom and dad to the baby, was filled with bottles of 7UP on Christmas in 1947. The lemon-lime soda first debuted in 1929, just weeks before the stock market crash. These photos reveal what Christmas looked like the year you were born.

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VINTAGE DRINK AD
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Share a Drink

Instead of a cookie exchange, these men are wrapping up bottles of liquid holiday cheer for their best friends. This 1947 ad enticed consumers to spare no expense in holiday gift giving in the wake of war-time rationing.

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Holiday Spirit Overseas ad
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Holiday Spirit Overseas

American soldiers still found the spirit of the season, and a few laughs, during World War II. Coca-Cola shared hope for lighter moments by encouraging fighting men to have a Merry Christmas in this vintage advertisement from 1943.

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vintage bread ad
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Baked With Love

The Karo Kid says his mom’s goodies are a heartfelt way to share the joys of season with loved ones. This cheeky youngster appeared in many of the syrup company’s ads during the 1940s and ’50s. The 1940s Christmas ad features four recipe cards and a creative way to package them all together.  Do you have any of these valuable vintage items in your kitchen?

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vintage budweiser ad
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Tradition and Taste

Chef Santa gives the gift of hospitality by sharing a bountiful Christmas meal in this advertisement from the late 1940s. Even a table laden with food, from goose to lobster, needs golden, sparkling Budweiser.

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vintage seven up ad
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Christmas Fun

There’s nothing like 7UP to share during all of your holiday merriment, from caroling to cookie baking. The jolly advertisement dates to 1958.

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vintage pepsi ad
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Fizzy and Fashionable

Stylish women in the 1950s topped off the holiday season with a light, refreshing Pepsi-Cola and an elegant hat. Sally Victor was a successful milliner from the 1930s through the 1950s, renowned for her creative and quirky designs such as this Christmas tree style. This is what Christmas looked like in the 1950s.

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vintage ritz ad
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Amazing Appetizers

Whether you call them cheese and crackers or canapes, this 1940s ad says Ritz makes the difference on your appetizer tray. Interestingly, the ad reveals that Nabisco stands for the National Biscuit Company. Check out these easy appetizer recipes for your holiday party.

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vintage maxwell ad
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Instant Warmth

Welcome neighborhood carolers with gifts of Maxwell House Coffee and warm hospitality. This ad from 1950 also promotes instant coffee, just in case the sing-along is a surprise. Here’s how to throw a Christmas caroling party.

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vintage cocacola ad
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The Gift of Coke

Santa Claus and Coca-Cola go together like cookies and milk. In this vintage ad from 1954, the “merry world traveler” tells shoppers that a bottle of Coke is the perfect gift for folks from Rome to Rio. You won’t believe what kids leave for Santa on Christmas Eve around the world.

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Originally Published in Reminisce

Lori Vanover
Lori has been a writer and editor for 16 years, fueled by plenty of coffee and chocolate. She hopes to retire someday and become a hot pepper farmer, cake decorator or barbecue pitmaster.