The best adverts of the 1950s, as picked by experts

Selection of 1950s ads
(Image credit: Rowntree's, Malboro, Levi's, Warner Bros, 7up)

The 1950s were a huge contrast with the grim war years of the 1940s. As peace broke out, Western society saw a consumer boom that led to unprecedented levels of economic prosperity. The growth of suburban living, the rise in wages and the extra leisure time thanks to new household utilities meant that, for the middle classes at least, life got significantly better. 

The market for goods and services then, expanded dramatically, but so did competition. So advertising, just like the best logos, was crucial if brands were to take advantage in this new era. 

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects. 

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