Playing Cards for Consumer Advertising, Marketing & Promotion
Closely following the development of visual advertising in general, such as on labels, packaging, posters and TV commercials, advertising playing cards seek to find ways to associate products with our inner desires and longings, with our identity and who we want to be. Some packs are widely distributed as part of larger promotions, others are more exclusive. In some cases single cards are collected from inside the advertised product, thereby stimulating further sales to complete a full set.
Anheuser-Busch
The Kings show American admirals and the Jacks have different officers at each end. The Queens are “Our Colonies”.
Anheuser-Busch Army & Navy
This deck is commonly known as the “Anheuser-Busch Spanish-American War deck”, issued at the end of the war.
Anonymous
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by Simon Wintle
Anonymous Moroccan Playing Cards for Royal Air Maroc airlines and others...
Argenar, Buenos Aires, c.1980
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by Simon Wintle
The reverse has advertising for Cymaco motor spares who have branches in Uruguay.
Art Nouveau Rommé • Canasta • Bridge
Elegant gold-printed playing cards in Jugendstil style designed by Otto Benz for Renault, 1987.
Arthur Lee & Sons Ltd
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by Matt Probert
Advertising deck produced for Arthur Lee and Sons Ltd of Sheffield by Thomas De la Rue around 1958.
Artistas del Cine
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by Simon Wintle
Advertising pack designed by J. Passos and first printed by Cromografía Irández, Barcelona, c.1926. Re-printed in 1995.
Asociart promotional playing cards, Argentina, 2000
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by Simon Wintle
Asociart Insurance promotional playing cards, Argentina, 2000.
Astra Games
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by Simon Wintle
Astra Games was a subsidiary of the McCorquodale Group of Companies, producing playing cards during the period 1982-87.
Atlantic Playing Card Co
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by Simon Wintle
Atlantic Playing Card Co., Inc. promoted Bridge Ensemble boxes and companion accessories.
Austria Ski Team playing cards
Photos of members of the Austrian skiing team replace the normal courts on two different packs.
Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company
Possibly one of the most beautiful decks produced for commercial purposes, this was printed by Modiano for the Austrian Lloyd Steamship Company of Trieste in c.1895
Austrian Wine
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by Matt Probert
Skat deck for Austria’s excellent wines, Österreichischer Weinwirtschaftsfonds, c.1965
Avengers Playing Cards by Theory11
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by Adam Wintle
Marvel’s Avengers: The Infinity Saga Premium Playing Cards produced by Theory11 and designed by Mattson Creative, 2021.
Axe Deodorant
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by Simon Wintle
Clearly promoting good personal hygiene, each card shows a young, pouting female model posing seductively and appealing to the playboy.
B & K Skat
Publicity pack designed by Henning Loerzer for Busskamp & Koch, an advertising agency in Munich.
B. Braun-Dexon®
Publicity pack promoting B. Braun-Dexon’s atraumatic needles, with non-standard courts and pips.
Bahía Graf, printers, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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by Simon Wintle
A pack specially designed for a sandwich bar and cake shop. The jokers show a pile of sandwiches.