text: Tastes change, of course, but looking at some of the adverts that graced newspapers and magazines in the latter half of the 20th century, it's hard to believe that the advertising brains behind them thought they might actually work. If the ad world's top gunslingers now rely on more modern methods of reaching their audience including hopping across multiple media platforms to reach them, once it was all about a single, thoughtfully-composed image. We've unearthed some of the more comical adverts that were regularly placed in the nation's national newspapers or glossy magazines, all of which hoped to persuade shoppers to part with their hard-earned cash. With wide collars, precision-cut suits and intense expressions, the men in the ads have something of the Don Draper from hit series Mad Men about them...albeit with a decade added on. Scroll down for video . Somebody call the fashion police...although this man's terrible jumper, seen in an advert for Seagram's Extra Dry Gin doesn't seem to have put off the lady holding said alcohol . Could the crease on those trousers be any straighter? An advert for DAKS trousers is a vision of beige, caramel and brown . A tan, blond moustache and a pair of curtains...although this ad fails to notice that the man in the photo isn't actually 'dark', the ad brains behind it are clearly convinced it will sell more Dubonnet, a wine-based aperitif . Like a time capsule from the era, the fashions are perfectly preserved; the men generally seem to be sporting thick moustaches (that many a modern-day hipster might covert) and almost always on their arm is an attractive lady, usually not wearing a great deal. An advert for Seagram's Extra Dry Martini Gin shows a couple sharing a tender moment, the lady caressing a glass of said gin while her partner looks on lovingly, stroking her cheek all the while. While the woman in question is wearing a low-cut top, it's the man in the image that really steals the show; he's wearing a checked shirt with very pointy collar and on top of it a jumper with a pattern that might induce a headache. The look is topped off with a pair of cream trousers, complete with perfectly pressed creases. Enjoy the great outdoors and then relax with a drink (while wearing a nice sweater) seems to be the general message from advertisers in the seventies . The machismo never ends: moustachioed men are seen advertising brands of scotch and whisky . Looking cool! In a 1969 advert for Marks and Spencer, these three dapper chaps are all set for the golf course . Another direct link between physical fitness and alcohol...this time for White Horse Scotch Whiskey. This 1979 ad in Now magazine showed a lean basketball player and a beautiful white horse . A collision of colour: Singer Rod Stewart once advertised Kickers shoes...while wearing some very garish clothes . A dig at the feminists: This advert suggests that drinking vodka might cause a woman to disrobe . Flicking through magazines from the same era, it's hard to distinguish between the male models; they are uniformly brunette with a moustache whether they're advertising Catto's Scotch or Smooth Canadian whisky. Another ad for DAKS trousers, which featured in a magazine in 1975, shows a couple wearing more clothes - this time they're a vision of beige, caramel and brown in tweed jackets. While the lady sports a pleated skirt, the gentleman has a pair of the brand's 'Signature' trousers, which appear to brush the ankle bone and have a very sharp crease mark running up them. Ding dong: These adverts for cosmetics company Avon appeared in the 1960s and show the more elegant female fashions of the era . Very, very successful sweater wearing...if you didn't know how to achieve that, this earlier advert from Lux in 1962 would show you how . There seems to be a large association between alcohol, sport and attractiveness with many of the ads featuring their main protagonist is two poses; 'active' and 'relaxing' afterwards with a glass of something delicious. Occasionally, there is a different face in the mix, one that belongs to a famous person. Take Rod Stewart's colourful ad for footwear brand Kickers. The Scottish crooner, with his trademark spiky hair, can be seen in one ad reclining on a beige sofa, wearing clothes that might hurt somebody's eyes. Skin-tight emerald velour green trousers are teamed with a stripy red, yellow, blue and black knitted jumper. There's a matching pair of leg warmers and a red scarf. The Kickers boots are bright red. Vodka giant Smirnoff teased an audience of feminists with its ad which showed a woman wearing a low-cut dress and the strapline: 'I never even thought of burning my bra until I discovered Smirnoff.' What would the Avon ladies, who appeared in ads throughout the 1960s wearing more demure twin-sets and pearls, make of it all?
target: Magazine ads from the Seventies haven't stood the test of time .
  Alcohol commercials  almost always featured a moustachioed man .
  Rod Stewart is seen wearing a garish outfit for footwear company Kickers .