In the fictional world of Mad Men, the advertising industry of yesteryear is witty, effortlessly cool and impossibly glamorous. Unfortunately, the adverts from that era and beyond don't seem quite as slick today.

In the days before strict laws governing the industry, advertisers could let their imaginations run wild - resulting in ads that are almost kitsch in their ignorance of political correctness, feminism and basic medical science (smoking, healthy? Sure). We've dug through the archives and unearthed some of the most entertaining adverts from the last century - with cheesy photos, hilarious slogans and bizarre products for you to chuckle over.

Click an image to view the ads in more detail.

Entertaining retro adverts