Today's marketing is much more targeted and dark pattern driven.
There was an earnestness to many ads back then. Either "native" style ads, or price lists -- given researching anything was much more difficult without internet, magazines and print brochures were all you had. Ads were critical.
My perception of ads is they are more automated and naive than they should be.
I get an ad for something I want. I get it. Then I don't need it anymore, but I get the same ad over and over again as if it went from a single thing I wanted to a hoarding obsession.
Then by chance I get an ad for something I want, but I want it later in the year, not today. I click the ad but don't get it.
When I want it, after few months, it is never shown again, and I get dozens of generic unrelated ads instead.
There was an earnestness to many ads back then. Either "native" style ads, or price lists -- given researching anything was much more difficult without internet, magazines and print brochures were all you had. Ads were critical.