You can’t be everything to everyone. It’s an important rule in marketing, and one that Cunard clearly missed with this 1962 ad. Pushing their usual message of a relaxing, indulgent vacation across the Atlantic, this cruise line marketing piece sought to promote every possible activity available on deck. The result is busy, confusing creative and excessive copy that make the experience of cruising to Europe seem anything but relaxing.

Copy in full:

You almost don’t know you’re traveling when you go Cunard to Europe… you’re too busy having a vacation! Time falls away before a brand-new world of fun, marvelous meals, service that treats you like you’re royalty. A chance to enjoy yourself. New faces and places. Before you know it you have arrived… refreshed, relaxed, ready for what’s ahead. The stabilizer-equipped superliners Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary get you to Europe in just five days. Six other Cunard ships take slightly longer. You will cherish in your memory the days and nights at sea aboard a Cunard Vacation Island!

FUN FACT: In 1999, Carnival Corporation acquired Cunard with the hopes of converting it into a luxury sub-brand under the slogan “Advancing Civilization Since 1840.” (Source: Wikipedia)