Careful With That Fire, Drinking And Litter: 70 Years Of The Ad Council's Advice

"The Crying Indian," became an iconic messenger of the Ad Council's anti-pollution campaign. (Courtesy of the Ad Council)

"Loose lips sink ships." "Only you can prevent forest fires." "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." "Take a bite out of crime." Sound familiar?

Those tag lines are just a few from the many ads created by the Ad Council, a nonprofit organization that was founded in the 1940s by the leaders of the advertising industry and President Franklin Roosevelt.

Initially, the Ad Council was conceived of as a way to help get Americans through World War II. The advertising campaigns for buying war bonds and planting victory gardens were Ad Council ideas, as was the iconic "Rosie the Riveter" campaign.

Those campaigns worked so well that the program continued after the war and celebrates its 70th birthday on Saturday. What better way to celebrate than to take a stroll down memory lane?

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