Tastes change , of course , but looking at some of the adverts that graced newspapers and magazines in the latter half of the 20th century , it 's hard to believe that the advertising brains behind them thought they might actually work . If the ad world 's top gunslingers now rely on more modern methods of reaching their audience including hopping across multiple media platforms to reach them , once it was all about a single , thoughtfully-composed image . We 've unearthed some of the more comical adverts that were regularly placed in the nation 's national newspapers or glossy magazines , all of which hoped to persuade shoppers to part with their hard-earned cash . With wide collars , precision-cut suits and intense expressions , the men in the ads have something of the Don Draper from hit series Mad Men about them ... albeit with a decade added on . Scroll down for video . Somebody call the fashion police ... although this man 's terrible jumper , seen in an advert for Seagram 's Extra Dry Gin does n't seem to have put off the lady holding said alcohol . Could the crease on those trousers be any straighter ? An advert for DAKS trousers is a vision of beige , caramel and brown . A tan , blond moustache and a pair of curtains ... although this ad fails to notice that the man in the photo is n't actually 'dark ' , the ad brains behind it are clearly convinced it will sell more Dubonnet , a wine-based aperitif . Like a time capsule from the era , the fashions are perfectly preserved ; the men generally seem to be sporting thick moustaches ( that many a modern-day hipster might covert ) and almost always on their arm is an attractive lady , usually not wearing a great deal . An advert for Seagram 's Extra Dry Martini Gin shows a couple sharing a tender moment , the lady caressing a glass of said gin while her partner looks on lovingly , stroking her cheek all the while . While the woman in question is wearing a low-cut top , it 's the man in the image that really steals the show ; he 's wearing a checked shirt with very pointy collar and on top of it a jumper with a pattern that might induce a headache . The look is topped off with a pair of cream trousers , complete with perfectly pressed creases . Enjoy the great outdoors and then relax with a drink ( while wearing a nice sweater ) seems to be the general message from advertisers in the seventies . The machismo never ends : moustachioed men are seen advertising brands of scotch and whisky . Looking cool ! In a 1969 advert for Marks and Spencer , these three dapper chaps are all set for the golf course . Another direct link between physical fitness and alcohol ... this time for White Horse Scotch Whiskey . This 1979 ad in Now magazine showed a lean basketball player and a beautiful white horse . A collision of colour : Singer Rod Stewart once advertised Kickers shoes ... while wearing some very garish clothes . A dig at the feminists : This advert suggests that drinking vodka might cause a woman to disrobe . Flicking through magazines from the same era , it 's hard to distinguish between the male models ; they are uniformly brunette with a moustache whether they 're advertising Catto 's Scotch or Smooth Canadian whisky . Another ad for DAKS trousers , which featured in a magazine in 1975 , shows a couple wearing more clothes - this time they 're a vision of beige , caramel and brown in tweed jackets . While the lady sports a pleated skirt , the gentleman has a pair of the brand 's 'Signature ' trousers , which appear to brush the ankle bone and have a very sharp crease mark running up them . Ding dong : These adverts for cosmetics company Avon appeared in the 1960s and show the more elegant female fashions of the era . Very , very successful sweater wearing ... if you did n't know how to achieve that , this earlier advert from Lux in 1962 would show you how . There seems to be a large association between alcohol , sport and attractiveness with many of the ads featuring their main protagonist is two poses ; 'active ' and 'relaxing ' afterwards with a glass of something delicious . Occasionally , there is a different face in the mix , one that belongs to a famous person . Take Rod Stewart 's colourful ad for footwear brand Kickers . The Scottish crooner , with his trademark spiky hair , can be seen in one ad reclining on a beige sofa , wearing clothes that might hurt somebody 's eyes . Skin-tight emerald velour green trousers are teamed with a stripy red , yellow , blue and black knitted jumper . There 's a matching pair of leg warmers and a red scarf . The Kickers boots are bright red . Vodka giant Smirnoff teased an audience of feminists with its ad which showed a woman wearing a low-cut dress and the strapline : ' I never even thought of burning my bra until I discovered Smirnoff . ' What would the Avon ladies , who appeared in ads throughout the 1960s wearing more demure twin-sets and pearls , make of it all ?
Magazine ads from the Seventies have n't stood the test of time . Alcohol commercials almost always featured a moustachioed man . Rod Stewart is seen wearing a garish outfit for footwear company Kickers .