Hollywood Celebrities in Vintage Advertising
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Hollywood Celebrities from the Golden Age endorsed many products
The top 5 studios during this era were MGM, Paramount, RKO, Warner Brothers, and 20th Century Fox. These studios often required the celebrities to advertise or endorse many types of products as a way to also promote the movie. Unlike stars of today who sign on with a company to endorse, back then it was a requirement of the studio to do so.
Image Credit: Scanned from Personal Collection of Celebrity Ads
Hollywood And the Whitmans Chocolate Sampler Ads
Many celebrities over the years were used in Whitman Chocolate Sampler ads to both promote the candy and the movie they were starring in at the time.To the right is Robert Taylor in a Sampler ad from 1952 also promoting his movie Quo Vadis. I have this ad in my personal collection of celebrity advertising.
Bob Hope, Van Johnson, and Robert Young also advertised the Whitman's Sampler chocolates

Celebrity Robert Young Sells Whitmans Chocolate Sampler
Tobacco Companies Loved the Celebrities
A really easy place to find ads with the celebrities of the Golden Age of Hollywood is in old tobacco and cigarette ads. Movie stars were used frequently to endorse Camels, Chesterfield, and Lucky Strike cigarettes.The stars would promote their favorite brand (or at least the studio said it was) along with their latest movie. I find more Chesterfield cigarette ads with the stars of movies, radio, and television than any other brand.
Just a few notable stars found in Tobacco Ads:
Arthur Godfrey, Rock Hudson, Eva Gabor, Alan Ladd, Jane Wyman, Gregory Peck, Rory Calhoun, Rise Stevens, Kirk Douglas, Dean Martin, Virginia Mayo, Anne Baxter, Alexis Smith, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Claudette Colbert, and Marlene Dietrich.

Celebrity Gregory Peck Advertises Chesterfield Cigarettes in 1950
Oddly enough, Coca Cola and Pepsi didn't seem too keen on the movie stars. Royal Crown Cola did want people to associate their brand of soft drinks with the stars and used them frequently.

Actress Loretta Young in RC Cola Ad in 1947
A PR Man Talks About Hollywood Celebrities
Celebrity Stew
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Actor Gene Autry Advertises B F Goodrich in 1950
Hollywood Celebrities In Ads And Flyers
Vintage Advertising Icons Are Celebrities Of Their Own Right
A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture
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Vintage Ads And Posters Promoted The Latest Movie
Of course there were always ads in magazines and posters promoting the latest movie of the Hollywood Celebrity. One of my favorites is of Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey Hepburn
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Hollywood Celebrities In Movie Posters
You Don't Have to be Vintage or a Hollywood Celebrity to Comment
Feel free to add your comments about your favorite celebrities, sites that you like, or just comment on the lens.
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astagirl
Jul 26, 2011 @ 2:20 pm | delete
- Love your lens!
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Gripandflip
Feb 18, 2011 @ 12:05 am | delete
- Anything vintage is okay by me. Great lens.
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fanfreluche
Feb 13, 2011 @ 7:26 am | delete
- Well this is something we won't see anymore: actors promoting cigarettes! I love everything vintage, and vintage ads makes and interesting collection. Blessed by the resident collecting memorabilia squidoo angel!
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najem
Jan 31, 2011 @ 3:01 am | delete
- I really like your lens :) Vintage is back!
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gunsock
Jan 25, 2011 @ 8:43 am | delete
- Great lens. The Golden Age from a different angle. Many thanks!
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DaveStone13
Dec 15, 2010 @ 8:32 am | delete
- Got a kick out of this one too. You do amazing research, show your items and comment just as appropriate. I'm more wordy, but I enjoy these. Good luck!
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WildFacesGallery
Nov 28, 2010 @ 8:07 am | delete
- Always surprising in this day and age all the smoking ads and how it was sexy. Intersting change in the times.
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Sami4u
Sep 20, 2010 @ 9:27 am | delete
- Hi,
Look at all those stars that smoked. I think we also had a actor turned president, that did ads for Chesterfield. The line that I laughed at all the time is "More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette." :)
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TheWhistler
Mar 21, 2010 @ 12:10 pm | delete
- I guess the reason a chocolate company didn't use Lucy is because she was under contract to Phillip Morris. There is nothing to stop a chocolate company from using that skit nowadays. In fact I think it is a very good idea. Thanks for the lens.
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Joan4
Jan 28, 2010 @ 8:12 pm | delete
- Oh I remember Lucy and Desi doing those commercials! What fun! Delightful! Does this mean I am now vintage? I think it does!
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Hollywood Celebrities in Vintage Advertising Copyright Notice
Copyright: October 8, 2008 by BevsPaper (Beverly Owens)
by BevsPaper
I sell vintage magazine ads at The Paper Trail. I hope you enjoy seeing some Hollywood Celebrities in vintage magazine advertisements.
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