These superstars of Hindi cinema have rocked the big screen for years. But do you remember them in these print ads? Not only do these vintage adverts take us right back to their hay days, they also make for a quirky look at the evolution of advertising and celebrity endorsements. And who knew there was a ‘Dilip Kumar’ brand of pickles?! Make sure you scroll right to the end for that one.
Zeenat Aman’s greatest passion was changing hairstyles, and the late 70s were the best years of her life, as she confesses in this Lux ad.
Jackie Shroff endorses a cigarette brand. By the way, these costed only a rupee for a whole pack of ten.
Hema Malini says in this ad that she loves Bharat Natyam, new saris and this beauty soap that is available in a variety of pastel shades.
You might recall Vinod Khanna running on the beach with a horse. Well, back in the day, he was the epitome of manly freshness, thanks to this print commercial.
Actress Mala Sinha endorses the film industry’s favourite beauty soap too.
The vivacious Tanuja endorses Lux as a beauty treatment that she couldn’t do without. Interestingly, this is the only beauty soap ad that you might have seen, that seems to have been shot at night. Only half of her face is really visible. But her spunk and energy are the same as ever.
This dashing side of Prem Chopra was a rare appearance in films. Check out those intense eyes and that jawline. Ooh and the neat shiny crown of hair. Prem Chopra had never looked this handsome on screen.
The mother of Bollywood choose the pure, white luxury of the Lux beauty soap and suggests you get the big bath size, just like she did.
Helen danced through our hearts with her elegant yet spunky numbers. In this ad she says that her dogs are very special to her and that she loves dressing up and travelling abroad. And of course, Lux keeps her glowing and youthful through it all.
Rajesh Khanna was stylish and had a hysterical fan following. Hence, the perfect choice for brand endorsements.
If Sharmila Tagore trusted this beauty soap for her lovely skin, why wouldn’t we?
Well it’s hard to imagine Gabbar getting his strength from glucose biscuits, but we get the point. This endorsement does seem a bit misplaced, but it is pretty cool to see the bandit we love the most, getting this excited about biscuits.
One of Hindi cinema’s true divas, Parveen Babi’s gorgeousness could sell anything. Her natural, non-made up look here adds a ton of freshness to this Lux ad.
With a giant diamond ring on his finger, actor Ashok Kumar urges you to give Ambiking suitings a total test before you buy yourself a suit length. It seems, the ring serves as one of the parameters. The grand old man of Hindi cinema looks suave and stylish in this one.
Wow! Now that’s seriously vintage. The enchanting Meena Kumari was also the face of Lux.
Jackie Shroff was never quite the chocolatey hero, but he sure could get us to switch from tea to a cup of hot chocolate.
This Lux ad claims that even the petit, the delicate Saira Banu, found the fragrance of this beauty soap simply irresistible.
She was Femina Miss India World in 1971 and then turned to acting in Bollywood films. Prema Narayan’s role in Amanush (1975) was quite the deviation from her sex symbol image.
Talking of divas and beauty soaps, how could we forget Rekha?
Bhidu is at his rustic, unkempt, macho best in this ad for an after shave brand.
Actress Nanda was chosen as the one to launch a new fragrance in the popular beauty soap range.
Actor, singer, comedian Kishore Kumar probably was someone who needed a ton of Brylcreem in his life, thanks to his eccentric dance moves in some of his quirkiest songs.
Shyama starred in the melodious numbers ‘Ae dil mujhe bataa de’ and ‘Ae lo main haari piya’ and surely added a ton of ‘vintage’ to this famous beauty soap campaign.
While Bagpiper soda had all the makings of a great occasion and that’s why Shatrughan Sinha seems to be annoyed at having run out of it. His expression is quite funny, isn’t it?
The demure Asha Parekh flaunts a playful smile in this print ad.
Dilip Kumar was the face of a pickle brand? Really! Wonder what these tasted like. Also wondering why this ad reads ‘This is not a cheap product manufactured for commercial profits.’ Well, whatever it might have been, I’d surely have loved to know how tangy this was. Wouldn’t you?