Bananas on the Brain
 

From the Meccano Magazine, Vol. XXXI. No.11 of November 1946:

https://myalbum.com/photo/d2W54xwXrep0/1k0.jpg

Something has been lost in the art of bicycle advertising over the years.

maybe colonial racism? :) I kid I kid. sorta. ok not.

There's more:

https://myalbum.com/photo/5D55IOLFHlrb/1k0.jpg

Methinks you're on thin ice with that comment.

John.

the internet allows for very thin ice. but if you are actually looking for a reason those sort of adverts are not accepted anymore (as the OP does): its because they are racist and push a colonist viewpoint.

so we don't see these sort of adverts as much anymore. I, for one, think this is an improvement.

It is an improvement to push those type of ads out, but back in 1946 it was pretty accurate about how things were in Nigeria, and many parts of Africa, India,and Central America for that fact. Bicycles were and are a prime means of transport, and the bananas were a resource that was exploited (unfortunately.) I doubt that Non-fixie had a racist intent in any case. YMMV. I felt that he was lamenting the bland, same-same ads we see now.

Bill

I agree that print advertising used to be incredibly interesting and often beautiful. Some of the best artists in the world did advertising art, because the magazines and ad agencies paid very well for it. I bought a complete set of National Geographic magazines from the 1930s-1970s just for the ad art. Sadly, photography gradually became the standard, and over a short period of time actual art was out when it came to advertising. And it wasn't just in magazines, but calendars and posters and catalogs, too.

Now that print magazines are going away, we're not even getting great photography in advertising any more.

Don't see the racism. Half naked woman and bananas has to mean something though.

For the record: I was just amazed (and amused by) the copywriter's choice of a title for this bicycle ad and the way he (OK, or she) gets to the conclusion: that the Hercules is the finest bicycle built to-day.

Found another one from the same series, BTW:

https://myalbum.com/photo/P1hkM8LNEyhK/1k0.jpg

Perhaps I'm too subtle; you have missed my point completely. I must remember this is a bicycle forum.

John.

N.B colonialist.

Because Australia was a penal colony- everybody there obviously had lost their drivers licenses hence the position of the flipped bars!

:lol:

The advertisement is ultimately so point-less that it fails to make any relation between the bike and the bananas.
(I have to admit that I laughed out loud when I read the ad, Non-F).
:)

i can just imagine the boy looking at his parents in bewilderment: "What's a B.S.A?"

Keep these ads coming! And the ad- libs with ' em.

When I saw the heading I thought [MENTION=173992]non-fixie[/MENTION] was go to show pics of his hot new Schwinn Stingray :(

OK, now that's truly offensive... Ugh, even worse -- it's a ram!!! :eek:

:)

Hmmm...Now I see where all my bag balm is disappearing to. I'll have to have a word with the help.
Thanks to the illustrator for the timely rendition of such awkward behaviour.

What he really wanted.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...tage-bikes.jpg

offensive suggestive and unnesessary here IMO.

"Corns are painful hyperkeratotic lesions that make it painful for dogs to walk. Cycles De Dion-Bouton!!!"

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...intage-ads.jpg

So to summarize, French and English bikes have rod brakes, Australian bikes have either coaster brakes, or are fixies, and Nigerian bikes have cable brakes. :innocent:

I do take the point that most modern bicycle ads and technologies do virtually nothing to distinguish their offerings from others.

Because there's not really much difference?

IMO as an ad for a bicycle it's pretty good. It kind of romanticizes the idea of adventure, the kind you would get on a bike tour. And of course, sex sells.

Could you get away with that today? Hell no. You would offend everybody.

Around the time of that ad (if National Geographic can be believed), bare breasts in rural Africa were not uncommon. Using that image to sell bikes in Europe and the US was a bit of a reach though.

I thought this thread was going to be about those Mexican ice cream bars. I just had a mango one today, with huge chunks of mango in it. 😋