New Year’s Eve Ads 1959 & 1969

Well, it’s New Year’s Eve – a good time to look back on the past year, and years gone by.

This New Year’s Eve is unique in that it's the eve of a new decade. I still remember as a kid how futuristic 1970 seemed at the time. But I don’t recall feeling that way about subsequent new decades.

At least the catchy-sounding 2020 will be easier to remember than the odd-numbered 2019, which I never really got used to writing on my checks (yes, I still write checks for almost all my bills).

Anyway, to wrap up the year here on the blog, here’s a small assortment of ads with an appropriate seasonal theme.

If it was New Year’s Eve 1959, you might have considered a night out at the Saddle Inn in Avon Lake. Above is an ad that ran in the Journal on December 26, 1959.

And also from 1959 is the full-page New Year’s Eve ad reminding Journal readers not to drink and drive. The ad doesn’t feature the Grim Reaper, but the clown is still a little creepy.

Moving up to 1969...

One of the few banks still around today with its original Lorain County-themed name is First Federal Savings of Lorain. Here’s its New Year’s themed ad that ran in the Journal on December 31, 1969.

Baby New Year 1960 is rather chubby, so he would fit right in with today’s kids.

And here’s the full-page New Year’s Eve 1969 ad from the Journal featuring the one, the only... Grim Reaper. He’s looking quite festive with his jaunty party hat.

Lastly, here’s a grim bonus: a mini-ad by the Lorain Safety Council that ran a few days before the full-page one. This ad stresses safe driving in general, and appeared in the paper on December 27, 1969. It has a clever theme (“Don’t Wreck Your Holiday’) and a grinning skull.

Anyway, have a safe New Year’s Eve!