Most creative professionals, regardless of their field of work, will appreciate a good commercial. Advertising is one of my guilty pleasures, and sometimes I find myself searching for the ads that impressed me most on YouTube, and watching them over and over again. This time I thought I’d put together a small selection of vintage camera ads. Now, keep in mind that most of them come from an age when TV was the most important advertising channel. They had to impress a large group of people and to get them to buy their product. The language is typically simple and less subtle than what you see in today’s advertising. Some of them are funny; others will leave you nostalgic to the point of watering your eyes. Here they are.

Agfa Bikini Ad

A priceless, well timed reaction from a funny geek character.

1950 Ansco Cadet

“No focusing, no dials, no nonsense.”

Polaroid SX-70

What’s great about some of these old ads is that they would also explain how to use the camera, not just promote it.

Nikon Teletouch 300 (1989)

This is from back when red eye was a plague for family photo albums.

Kodak, Betty White (1964)

Most of the photography commercials from the 60s probably belonged to Kodak. This is one of them, featuring a very young Betty White.

Pentax IQ Zoom

Back in the day, having a zoom lens built into a compact camera was really a big deal. It kind of seems out of this world now.

Minolta XG-1

Bruce Jenner, with some very poor acting.

Canon AE-1 (1979)

This was one of Canon’s most legendary cameras ever.

Kodak Instamatic (1960s)

This was one commercial that made it target audience very clear. Just load the film, man.

 

Also Read:  41 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DATE A PHOTOGRAPHER

Recommended Reading:

• 2013 Photographer's Market: The Most Trusted Guide to Selling Your Photography
• How to Create Stunning D igital Photography
• Best Business Practices for Photographers
• The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan: Build a Successful Photography Venture from the Ground Up
• Group Portrait Photography Handbook
• 500 Poses for Photographing Women
• The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images
• 500 Poses for Photographing Group Portraits
• Selling Your Photography: Ho w to Make Money in New and Traditional Markets 
• Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photograp her
• Photographer's Survival Manual: A Legal Guide for  Artists in the Digital Age
• Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liab ilities of Making Images
• Taking Stock: Make money in microstock creating photos that  sell
• Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer