Don Draper's Grandad

The slick and sophisticated world of advertising and marketing as depicted in the episodes of "Mad Men" is actually nothing new.

It has been a fundamental trait of humans to promote themselves and their services in order to earn a living and attain the respect and admiration of their peers. The prehistoric cave paintings may have been a promotional tool for a mammoth hunting contract and ancient Egyptian symbols an attempt to entice the affluent citizens to buy something, or at least hire a glyphic.

Here are a few bits of advertisements from the late 1800's and first decade of the 20th Century found in the pages of brochures and programmes for agricultural shows and exhibitions in the English Midlands and North.

I am not sure that Don and his associates at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce could make these any better as for their era they are just simply on message.

Who said that hard hitting marketing campaigns were only from the modern consumer society?

An early rival to Coca Cola

Increasing awareness of Health Benefits for Pigs

A sort of headache pill for cattle

The 1880's equivalent to the iPhone Account

Sheep Dip - Because they're worth it

Sexing up the sale of Dairy Appliances

Early pioneering self storage 

Don Draper's Grandad could obviously teach him a few things about the hard sell to a discerning public.