15 Vintage Food Ads Grandma Perused in Her Favorite Magazines
Updated: Feb. 17, 2023
Look through vintage food ads from Kraft, French's and others that were printed back when a loaf of bread was only a couple cents.
Kraft Dinner
Kraft Dinner first hit supermarkets in 1937. The 19¢ box of macaroni & cheese proved popular during the Great Depression and is still a quick and delicious dinner for busy parents around the world. Take that box of Kraft to the next level with easy mac n’ cheese upgrades.
Life Savers Candies
As shown in this 1962 ad, Life Savers was marketed as “the candy with the hole.” In 1919, Clarence Crane punched holes in the center of his mints to make them stand out from similar sweets of the time.
Peter Pan Peanut Butter
According to this 1950 ad, smooth or chunky, Peter Pan is the favorite of every kid on the block. See how Peter Pan performed in our modern-day peanut butter test.
Whitman’s Chocolates
When women worked the factory lines at Whitman’s during World War II, they often slipped handwritten notes in the boxes sent to U.S. soldiers. Some of the notes resulted in romances and weddings!
Campbell’s Tomato Soup
This flashy fruit shows off the company’s signature red-and-white color scheme. A Campbell’s executive chose this shade after being dazzled by the deep red color of Cornell University’s football uniforms.
Don’t let your bowl of tomato soup get lonely. Pair it with an ooey-gooey grilled cheese.
Dairy Queen Sundae
Dairy Queen’s ice cream is so much more than soft-serve, it’s “the cone with the curl on top!” This iconic recipe is just as popular today as it was when this 1953 ad was run.
DQ is one of the country’s oldest chain restaurants. Here’s a look at the others.
French’s Mustard
After launching at the 1904 Saint Louis World’s Fair as “Cream Salad Mustard,” French’s has grown to become one of the top-selling brands of mustard in the world.
Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake
Betty Crocker started selling cake mix in 1948. Since its debut, the Betty Crocker brand has expanded to offer over 25 different flavors of cake mix, plus cookie mix, muffin mix and more.
Libby’s Juice
This Libby’s ad is aimed squarely at busy moms whose kids spend their summer days working up a thirst running from one prank to the next. The “frozen” beneath the bright red Libby’s logo is almost an afterthought—and why not? Who has time to wait for fresh-squeezed juice when there’s a baby sister to tease?
Quaker Oats Chocolate Oatmeal
By the 1970s, cold cereals were firmly established as snacks, with brands such as Chex popular for party mixes. Hot cereals like Quaker Oats struggled to compete. The solution? Every kid’s favorite flavor: chocolate.
Niblets Canned Corn
Few side dishes are as easy to throw together as a can of sweet corn. If you’re looking to switch it up a bit, take a look at these amazing corn salad recipes.
Milky Way
Did you know that Milky Way bars were named after malted milkshakes and not our solar system’s brilliant galaxy?
Lunch Box Sandwich Spread
This mixture of tangy relish, sweet red pepper and spices was advertised as an easy way to upgrade any sandwich in 1596. While Lunch Box-brand spread isn’t sold anymore, you can still top your sandwich with ones of these amazing homemade condiments.
Log Cabin Maple Syrup
Who doesn’t love drizzling a healthy helping of maple syrup over their breakfast? Learn all sorts of surprising facts about this sweet syrup.
Brach’s Chocolate Cherries
While Valentine’s Day ads get more lovey-dovey each year, this one for chocolate cherries keeps it simple. Nowadays you might recognize Brach’s for their candy corn, because it’s a best seller in the United States.
Originally Published: November 28, 2018
