Entertainment advertising horror
This bizarre 1973 ad for Vauxhall cars is a terrifying slice of folk-horror
We can’t begin to imagine what was going on in the heads of the people at the ad agency when they came up with the following commercial for Vauxhall cars back in 1973, but we suspect that marijuana may have played a big part.
It certainly has echoes of The Wicker Man, released that same year, but did it succeed in increasing car sales or did it merely succeed in traumatising any children who may have been watching?
Thanks to the wonderful and aptly named Twitter account Scarred for Life for sharing, and if you like this kind of thing be sure to give them a follow for much more of it.
This Vauxhall advert from 1973 can safely be filed under 'nope'. pic.twitter.com/iVBFeVxBW3
— Scarred for Life (@ScarredForLife2) February 27, 2025
Chilling! Others agreed.
1.
Volk Horror
— john reith (@SIRJOHNREITH) February 27, 2025
2.
It wouldn’t be quite so bad if they hadn’t used the entire costume budget on the upper third of the body, leaving the rest in that slightly unnerving body stocking thing!!
— neil harrison (@neilgharrison) February 28, 2025
3.
It’s got DOCTOR WHO AND THR DAEMONS energy! pic.twitter.com/ETNW7oBBo6
— Mark Chaplin (@Yugblad) February 27, 2025
4.
Looks like it inspired a lot of The Mighty Boosh
— Neil (@One_Neil) February 27, 2025
5.
Advertising executive: "What haven't we tried before to sell these cars?"
Copywriter: "Creepy demons."
Advertising executive: "Bingo!"— A. R. Yngve (@AR_Yngve) February 27, 2025
6.
Jesus that is awful.
— Del Mitri (@Jm72Nsb) February 28, 2025
7.
Oh my god! This is just brilliantly weird
— Rachael (@rachofthenorth) February 27, 2025
8.
I find it quite endearing. I bet it was scary as hell as a small child
— Kristin Plant (@misskristinruth) February 28, 2025
9.
That’s so disturbing.
— Dr Patrick Wright (@saturnineone) February 27, 2025
10.
He can Fuck right off ffs !
— Sean (@seanmh1945) February 27, 2025
11.
"And it's all going to happen at your Vauxhall dealers. Visit it. You really must. Or I'll peck your eyes out."
— Lawrence Monk (@trendylefty) February 28, 2025
12.
The Vauxhall Griffin badge, but it's alive. https://t.co/kSZf458Ybg pic.twitter.com/N9RqrV2eCy
— Dr Joseph Dolan's Rubber Glove (@Al_Joe_K) February 27, 2025
13.
It’s amazing that Vauxhall remained solvent after this… https://t.co/Bpo9ZrHHon
— The View from Bradwell Common (@bradwellcommon) February 27, 2025
Mealy Pertaters had this to add.
Good grief! I'm glad I didn't move to the UK until I was well into my 30s. I'm not sure I would have survived a childhood filled with this sort of thing. https://t.co/6vyCUWn9pw
— Mealy Pertaters (@MPertaters) February 27, 2025
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Source Scarred For Life Image Screengrab