Things That Don't Make Sense
This 1958 Ford ad isn’t cropped or split down the middle of a page. It actually says “Merica’s” instead of America. I’m assuming it was implied that the painter had painted it on the part of the billboard to which we aren’t privy. But as it stands, it’s pretty funny. And the rest of the ad itself was peppy and colorful.
What does motor oil have to do with a House of Horrors??
In actuality, the DeSoto stopped conquistadoring in 1961, due in large part to the 1958 recession, from which sales failed to recover. That year, DeSoto sales were 60 percent lower than those of 1957. In addition, Ford introduced a new mid-price competitor with the Edsel, which seemed intimidating at the time–but we all know became a symbol for an utter commercial failure. But long live the memory of the DeSoto!
