bonus features: how one ontario newspaper tried to scare drivers sober

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This post offers supplementary material for an article I recently wrote for TVO, which you should read before diving into this post. 

Here's a sampling of the ads that were discussed in the piece. Note the rise and fall of the ghoulishness factor, especially among the Christmas-centric ads. Click on the images for larger versions.

be 1959-12-31 grim reaper ad

Barrie Examiner, December 31, 1959.

be 1960-12-24 christmas is a great time to be alive ad

Barrie Examiner, December 24, 1960.

be 1960-12-30 stay alive ad

Barrie Examiner, December 30, 1960.

be 1961-12-23 christmas be alive ad

Barrie Examiner, December 23, 1961.

be 1961-12-30 keep it up

Barrie Examiner, December 30, 1961.

be 1962-12-31 invitation to disaster ad

Barrie Examiner, December 31, 1962.

be 1963-12-30 driving careful ad

Barrie Examiner, December 30, 1963.


be 1964-12-24 anti-drunk driving ad

Barrie Examiner, December 24, 1964.

be 1965-12-24 drive like lightning

Barrie Examiner, December 24, 1965.

be 1966-12-31 enjoy yourself this christmas eve

Barrie Examiner, December 31, 1966.

the weekly 1967-12-20 mary's daddy won't be home for christmas small

The Weekly, December 20, 1967.

I tried to find similarly ghoulish ads in other Ontario newspapers, and discovered this safety campaign from Toronto Township (present-day Mississauga) which ran during the mid-to-late 1960s.

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