[META] Should we (continue to) allow retro/vintage ads for products that are still available?

Sure, this community is called "vintage ads", not "vintage products". I think any ad is fine here, as long as it's vintage.

A more interesting question might be "How old does an ad have to be to be considered vintage?"

Well, yeah. It's about the aesthetics, nostalgia, history, design, and vibe, not the availability of the product.

I mean, c'mon, there's companies that have been around for over a century selling the same basic things. Those ads are no less interesting than the ones from defunct companies in any way. If anything, a company that's still around, products that are still around, may be more interesting because we could go and compare old ads to new ones on our own and see how ad design has changed over time.

One of my hobbies is knives. Specifically, slipjoint knives, like the old school "grandpa" type of things. Just the history of Buck, one of the more well known companies is a book's worth of ad design changes. Looking at other companies like Schrade, case, or boker, etc, and comparing the way they differed vs the overall trends in knife advertising is a thing knife geeks can spend a lifetime puttering around with. None of that is less interesting because the companies still sell the same or similar products.

Barring currently available products is, frankly, a dumb idea. Now, a time limit of when an ad was published last, that would be fitting for the C/'s theme. Say, something like 20 years as the cutoff makes sense, maybe even 30. But that's a different thing

Definitely keep them. Especially since most of the old ads aren't exactly flattering by today's standards.

Yeah sure, I don't see why not. Some of the best ads from decades past are from the likes of Coke, Pepsi, various fuel stations, cigarettes or alcohol.

And those are pretty prolific...

I think it's still interesting. Especially if the marketing has changed drastically.

Yeah, keep the definition broad

I think they should be allowed. Retro/Vintage is a theme. We still buy gasoline, but there's always vintage gas pumps in antique shops and they're cool to see. Same with vintage coke products.

What's hateful about ads is that they pop up when they're not wanted. But this is a community about advertisements, so the ads are right where they're wanted. (assuming they're vintage.)