Advertising has taken many shapes and forms over the years and is constantly changing due to technology and culture. Who would have imagined when Al Gore “invented” the Internet that the interface would become a platform for advertising and social media?

One unique medium to fall victim to both technology and culture in the 20th century has been the matchbook – wonderful miniature pieces of advertising, art and memories. They were first commercially produced in the 1890s in the United States. But it wasn’t until the 1940s that they began to reach commercial success as an advertising medium. Matchbooks served as reminders of products, restaurants and destinations for nearly five decades.
Smoking was cool back then, too. Just watch the popular TV show Mad Men for five minutes.

But in 1968 the first anti-smoking campaign ran in the U.S. Within three decades, the number of smokers was reduced by 50%. This was a true cultural shift.  Today, smoking is even banned from restaurants and bars. To make it even more difficult for the little matchbook, technology changed. Disposable lighters flooded the market and the matches became archaic. 

Now an art form for collectors, the matchbook holds a unique place in history. Will Facebook one day stand by its side? You can count on change as the only constant in marketing, and in life.