Bizarre Vintage Alcohol Ads That Used Sex to Sell

Before advertising standards had much bite, alcohol brands ran some of the most brazenly sexual print ads ever produced. Marketers knew sex sold, and they leaned into it hard. The formula was simple: attractive people, suggestive copy, and a bottle front and center.

Double entendres were a staple of the genre. Brand names and serving sizes became easy targets for innuendo-laced taglines. The wordplay was rarely subtle, but it was almost always memorable — which was exactly the point.

Bizarre Vintage Alcohol Ads That Used Sex to Sell Every Type of Booze

Some ads crossed lines that would be considered deeply inappropriate today. Domestic violence, workplace harassment, and gender stereotypes all showed up as casual punchlines in campaigns meant to seem edgy or funny.

Was this advert inspired by the abusive relationship of Ike & Tina?

They don't have a sense of humor at airport security like they once did. — They don’t have a sense of humor at airport security like they once did.

Women’s bodies were the most frequently used visual hook. Cleavage, bikinis, and tight clothing appeared across every liquor category — beer, vodka, gin, and tequila included. The product almost became secondary to the image.

A clever tag line is great, but nothing beats a pair of boobs in a booze advert.

There's definitely something phallic going on here. It's as if Sigmund Freud himself was in charge of the Smirnoff account. — There’s definitely something phallic going on here. It’s as if Sigmund Freud himself was in charge of the Smirnoff account.

Vodka brands were particularly aggressive. Smirnoff and Cossack both produced campaigns that tied their products directly to sexual opportunity, often targeting men with the promise that the right bottle guaranteed the right evening.

Your secretary will have sex with you, if you have lots of Cossack Vodka on hand.

Never go to a bachelor's pad alone — Never go to a bachelor’s pad alone

This approach wasn’t limited to Western markets. Japanese advertisers ran similarly provocative campaigns, placing bikini-clad women inside gin bottles and crafting visuals that matched anything produced in Europe or America.

Lest you imagine the "sex sells booze" approach was strictly a Western thing, this advert clears up any misconception. Asian advertisers were wise to the selling power of a chick in a silver bikini living in an empty gin bottle. You might say Japanese were the greatest experts of them all. — Lest you imagine the “sex sells booze” approach was strictly a Western thing, this advert clears up any misconception. Asian advertisers were wise to the selling power of a chick in a silver bikini living in an empty gin bottle. You might say Japanese were the greatest experts of them all.

The Japanese also made insanely stupid ads like this one, completely undermining my previous statement.

British gin brand Boodle ran a 1982 campaign using its own name as slang for sex. The ads asked whether it was “proper to Boodle” in various social settings, leaning on the brand’s stuffy, upper-class image to make the innuendo land harder.

Her shirt reads "It's Real". I suppose it's better than "They're Fake", but still not the greatest thing to emblazon across a female's breasts. She already looks a little tipsy, so she probably doesn't care. — Her shirt reads “It’s Real”. I suppose it’s better than “They’re Fake”, but still not the greatest thing to emblazon across a female’s breasts. She already looks a little tipsy, so she probably doesn’t care.

These Boodle ads from 1982 used the "always proper" British Gin as a slang for sex. I wish they had gone a bit further with it. For example, "Is it proper to boodle a complete stranger?" Or even better, "Is it proper to boodle a circus clown while tripping on bath salts?" — These Boodle ads from 1982 used the “always proper” British Gin as a slang for sex. I wish they had gone a bit further with it. For example, “Is it proper to boodle a complete stranger?” Or even better, “Is it proper to boodle a circus clown while tripping on bath salts?”

Not every vintage alcohol ad relied on sex. Some took a pseudo-scientific approach, claiming that certain facial features — deep-set eyes, close-lying ears — indicated a person had the refined taste to appreciate their brand.