Do You Remember These ’50s Christmas Commercials with Elvis, John Wayne and Coca-Cola?
Christmastime always brings back memories of holidays past — and for some of us, that includes memories of Christmas commercials from our youth. If you’re a boomer who grew up during the 1950s, you might recall these classic Christmas TV ads, which promote everything from Elvis Presley’s first Christmas album to a special Christmas carton of Lucky Strike cigarettes, and feature everyone from the Duke himself, John Wayne, to a minor character from Leave It to Beaver.
So if the stockings are already hung from the chimney with care, or if you just need a break from Christmas shopping, check out these old ads and try to remember: did Santa ever bring you that Timex watch you asked for?
Elvis’ Christmas Album
The 1957 release Elvis’ Christmas Album was the singer’s first Christmas record — and the last he’d release for over a decade. The album, which included classic Christmas tunes like “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “White Christmas” along with more modern fare like “Blue Christmas,” topped the Billboard charts for a month. In this ad, two teenage sisters just can’t figure out how to share the album … or the hunky pin-up photos of Elvis that come with the album.
Christmas Seals featuring John Wayne
Beginning in 1907, the American Lung Association began selling Christmas Seals — a set of decorative holidays stamps used to raise funds to fight tuberculosis. In this ad, the Duke takes a break from beating up bad guys on film to remind viewers to buy theirs, and help fight the threat of TB. And if you’re in a Christmas Seals mood — they’re still around and available! Today, Christmas Seals raise funds to fight lung cancer, asthma, influenza, and other lung-related afflications.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola ads are a holiday tradition unto themselves — for decades now, the soft drink brand has debuted new, memorable ads each Christmas season. This animated 1958 ad shows a family achieving the impressive holiday feat of drinking bottles of Coke while also sledding and singing a song about the “good taste of Coke.”
Lucky Strike cigarettes
TV commercials for cigarettes were banned in 1971, but in the decades prior, Christmas-themed cigarette ads were common each year. This ad shows off a special Christmas-themed carton of Lucky Strike cigarettes — the packaging is printed with a festive holiday design and the phrase “Merry Christmas and Happy Smoking.”
Timex watches
This 1959 ad features John Cameron Swayze, chatting with a tiny elf about the wide variety of Timex watches that folks could pick up as holiday gifts. Though Swayze was a news anchor and gameshow host, he’s probably best remembered for his 20-year run as a Timex pitchman. Swayze popularized the watch’s catch phrase “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”
Borden Egg Nog
In this ad from the late 1950s, Peter Graves, William Fawcett and Bobby Diamond, then of Western show Fury, sample Borden’s egg nog at a festive barn dance. Graves went on to fame as one of the stars of Mission: Impossible, and later, as the host of A&E’s Biography. The ad also includes an appearance from Veronica Cartwright, who got her start as Violet Rutherford on Leave It to Beaver, and would later show up in The Birds and 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
General Electric clocks
This 1955 General Electric ad poses a simple solution for the person stumped about Christmas gifts: give your loved ones some clocks! “She can always use another clock,” the ad’s narrator claims. After all, who wants to get a doll, a guitar or a bicycle, when you can instead rush down to the tree on Christmas morning and unwrap a clock that makes noise for 45 minutes straight?
Remind 
Vintage Brands
June 2023
Look back at memorable celebrity endorsements, network sponsorships and just plain bizarre ads over time
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