Whether you’re getting ready to take your children (or grandchildren) trick-or-treating, setting up the bowl to hand out candy, or headed to what feels like your 10th trunk-or-treat in five days, we’ve got you covered for your spooky automotive fix. Here are four spooky automotive advertisements from Oldsmobile, Shell, Ford, and Mobil that sent chills up my spine.
Oldsmobile
When it was time to introduce the W-Machines for the 1969 model year, Oldsmobile leaned heavily into a campaign that presented the performance cars as something concocted by a mad scientist and his team of collaborators to inflict fear on competitors. That mad scientist ended up being named Dr. Oldsmobile, with his assistants being Elephant Engine Ernie, Shifty Sidney, Wind Tunnel Waldo, and Hy Spy. The motley crew would be used in advertising through the 1971 model year.
Shell
This 1951-1952 ad campaign promoted Shell X-100 Motor Oil featured artwork by Boris Artzybasheff. It depicts goblin-type characters hell-bent on destroying your engine. The antidote was Shell’s X-100 Motor Oil “fortified with alkaline ‘X’ safety factors.”
Ford Thunderbird
In all fairness to Ford, I do not believe this one was meant to be creepy but that’s how it came out. The focal point of the ad is the woman sitting in the luxurious interior of a 1974 Ford Thunderbird equipped with the Burgundy Luxury Group. After a long look, you may notice a man’s face floating in the moonroof. The way it was printed and arranged makes him looks like an apparition of sorts. The good news is when you look at the page in the brochure promoting the Burgundy Luxury Group, you may notice his arm is supposed to be on the door instead of missing entirely. But the question remains: Is he actually alive? Just kidding — this is not “The Sixth Sense.”
Mobil
In the 1960s, Mobil ran a campaign created by Doyle Dane Bernbach that responded to increased concern from elected officials, law enforcement agencies, and safety and public health professionals on dangerous driving. It featured many print ads similar to this creepy one above but it also included stunts like dropping a car off a three-story building (which you can see below, if you dare). This ad reminds me of the 2005 horror film “White Noise” in which Michael Keaton’s character begins to intercept messages from his deceased wife and evil spirits through television and radio static.
Is there an ad campaign or marketing material that creeps you out? What are they? Tell us in the Comments section below … and have a safe Halloween!
Source: journal.classiccars.com
