Along with the jingle bells, the fruitcake and the eggnog, Christmas-themed advertisements have been an American holiday tradition since time immemorial. Snow can be falling, the tree can be in the den and the stockings can be above the fireplace, but it's not Christmastime until the new Coke Polar Bear Ad has aired.
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In a pre-polar bear ad world, however, there were still tons of ways to inject some Christmas spirit into a sales pitch. Even without CGI, the marketers of yesteryear concocted more than a few clever slogans and posters for the holiday season. From simple informational spots in the paper, to puntastic pleas pressuring parents to purchase toys for their youngsters, the ad men of yore had more than a few tricks up their sleeves.
Check out the posters below to see how clever -- and how absurd -- Christmas ads could be.
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Image: Flickr, INSOMNIA CURED HERE