Advertising & Promotional

Closely following the development of visual advertising in general, such as on labels, packaging and posters, advertising playing cards are used in pubs and cafés and are a popular publicity item. Some packs are widely distributed, others are more exclusive. In some cases single cards are collected from inside the advertised product to complete a full set.

100 Pipers

100 Pipers Scotch Whisky promotional deck, Waddingtons P.C.Co., c.1973. Includes a Tarot pack offer.

Advertising & publicity playing cards by Joker S.A.

Advertising and publicity playing cards manufactured by Joker S.A.

Advertising deck for Carta Mundi

Advertising deck for Carta Mundi produced by Carta Mundi, 2001

Advertising Playing-Cards by La Cubana, S.A. (Fabrica de Naipes El Aguila), Mexico, c.1960

AGMüller English Pattern

AGMüller standard English pattern for the Royal Jordanian Airline, 1980s

Air India

‘Air India’ playing cards, made in India

Akadama Honey Wine by Nintendo

Suntory Akadama Honey Wine playing cards manufactured by Nintendo, Japan, c.1970

Alfred Marks

Alfred Marks Recruitment Consultants publicity playing cards published by Astra Games

Alitalia

Alitalia advertising deck produced by Premier Portfolio International Ltd.

America Online Beach

America Online Beach playing cards, Spanish suit system, non-standard designs, 2006

Anheuser-Busch

The Kings show American admirals and the Jacks have different officers at each end. The Queens are “Our Colonies”. Advertising appears on the Ace of Spades and ‘Uncle Sam’ Joker, the back and the box. The medals on the Aces suggest awards.

Anheuser-Busch Army & Navy

This deck is commonly known as the “Anheuser-Busch Spanish-American War deck”, issued at the end of the war.

Argenar, Buenos Aires, c.1980

The reverse has advertising for Cymaco motor spares who have branches in Uruguay.

Arthur Lee & Sons Ltd

Advertising deck produced for Arthur Lee and Sons Ltd of Sheffield by Thomas De la Rue around 1958

Asociart promotional playing cards, Argentina, 2000

Asociart Insurance promotional playing cards, Argentina, 2000

Austrian Wine

Skat deck for Austria’s excellent wines, Österreichischer Weinwirtschaftsfonds, c.1965

Axe Deodorant

Clearly promoting good personal hygiene, each card shows a young, pouting female model posing seductively and appealing to the playboy.

Bahía Graf, printers, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A pack specially designed for a sandwich bar and cake shop. The jokers show a pile of sandwiches.

Baraja Gallega

Baraja Gallega designed by cartoonists and caricaturists Pinto Chinto (David Pintor & Carlos López) in 2002.

Baraja Taurina by Simeon Durá, c.1916

Baraja Taurina manufactured by Simeon Durá (Valencia) for Chocolate Angelical, first published in 1916.

Bayer

Humorous pharmaceutical deck made by Antoine van Genechten for Bayer, c.1963.

Beautiful Britain Series

The ‘Beautiful Britain’ series depicting seaside and country resorts was produced by John Waddington Ltd for the Great Western Railway and London and North Eastern Railway between 1924-1939.