Famous Vintage Outdoor Thermometers

by: Michael O'Brien

Outdoor metal thermometers have been around since the 1920’s. While useful as a device for indicating the temperature, vintage outdoor thermometers had a dual purpose. Many famous and enduring product brand names were broadly introduced as subjects for outdoor advertising thermometer.

Like vintage metal advertising signs, outdoor thermometers were widely distributed to merchants around America. It was quite common to find outdoor advertising thermometers on the walls of gas stations, general stores and restaurants. A critical part of creating a brand image for a product or service is getting enough eyes on the image in a repetitive way. This process of repetitive imaging is a very successful way to embed a product brand name.

This fact of marketing was not lost on business. Before the days of mass communication media such as the internet and television, business had to rely on smaller media like newspapers and radio. Paying to advertise in these types of media outlets was expensive and the message had a relatively short shelve life. The outdoor advertising thermometer became a popular and effective advertising tool.

Soda Pop Thermometers

Famous brand names like NeHi and Coca Cola and other brands of bottled soda pop were popular subjects for outdoor advertising thermometers. As electrification swept through rural America in the early 1900’s, soda pop makers immediately saw the value of installing thousands of mechanical vending machines. Early machines may have been nothing more than a reach in cooler stamped and painted to resemble the brand name. It would have been common to see an outdoor advertising thermometer hanging outside the general store or gas station. Brands like Coca Cola have endured for well over 100 years.

The Irascible Betty Boop

Betty Boop, that star of cartoons and comics strips has become a popular subject for outdoor advertising thermometers. Betty Boop first appeared in the early 1930’s during the height of the Great Depression. She was a ray of sunshine during a time of economic despair, drought and hardship.

Gas and Oil Advertising

Gas stations or service stations, as they used to be called, were the perfect spot to place an advertising thermometer. In addition to soda pop and food related advertising thermometers, gas and oil companies also saw the value in promoting their brand names through visual repetition. Old familiar brands like Penziol and Mobil have become household names when it comes to automobile gas and oil.

About the Author

Michael O'Brien is Staff Writer for OutdoorThermometer.com