Archives of Advertising CDs

The Archives of Advertising compiles print advertisements from old magazines. The ads are then documented and put together with other like advertisements. The result is a library of CDs with categories as diverse as Bras to Porsches. It's been a while since I had this much fun reviewing a product! I had three CDs to review, all subjects I have a particular interest in -- Candy Bars, Porsche 911s and Christmas Car Ads.

Since I am always browsing through old magazines for ads of interest, this was an excellent way to find advertisements of the subjects that pique our interest. Although the thrill of the hunt is part of the fun, this is a lot quicker than blindly looking through magazines and certainly a lot cheaper than buying individual copies.

The Archives of Advertising sell the CDs for 17.95 each and are definitely worth the money for those interested in the individual categories or those that enjoy collecting ads. Obviously you won't have the original, but if it's the originals you covet, these CDs are an excellent resource to help with the search.

The Candy Bar
An Advertising Survey 1931-1969
"The Candy Bar Roster" is a list of the different candy bars produced and the year of production.

This was the most fun to review if only because the subjects and ads were colorful, brought back lots of memories and had me reaching for the M & Ms on the desk.

The CD is VERY easy to use, ads are indexed by year and subject. Or you can use the checklist for all the ads, clicking on any of title to view it. Each advertisement had the documentation on the magazine and year it was in published.

You could also zoom in on the images for a better look. There are several ways to print the images. Each individual page with documentation or the enlarged picture without the documentation. I really liked the way it was all laid out and how easy it would be for even a computer novice to use.

Porsche 911
A History in Advertising 1966 - 1985
"Nothing Ever Came Close" gives a brief introduction to the car and the advertising that was as innovative as the car.

This CD was as easy to use as The Candy Bar CD, with the same features. Cars ads are broken down by year, model or companion (other Porsche models) which really makes it easy to find what you're looking for. The advertisements are from magazines as diverse as New Yorker, Country Life (UK), Road & Track, Realites (France), Scientific American, Sports Illustrated and Car & Driver. The advertisements are in both black and white or color.

Christmas in the Car Ads
1903-1975
I have a small collection of ads featuring Santas that are framed and brought out during the holidays. This CD has several images that would be terrific to add to my collection, especially the first one -- a black and white advertisement.

According to the essay on the CD " The earliest car ad known to feature a Christmas theme is from 1903. Up on the housetop is Old Saint Nick, in his sleigh replacement, a Stevens-Duryea, laden with Stevens rifles, pistols and shotguns for "the youth of the land." Like many early car manufacturers, the company catalog included products quite unrelated to one another, except by the brand name on them."

This CD had a lengthy (and informative!) essay with a chronological history of the car and how it related to Christmas advertising. It appears this was one of the earlier CDs and it might be a little harder to find specific cars, but it still won't be difficult.