Sandra in the Netherlands sent me this convincing argument to try some Stimorol Kisscool mints. Sadly, they don’t seem to be available here, so I guess I’ll have to stick to biting. Sandra would also like to encourage us to kiss slowly (when we’re not biting, anyway) and love truly. Sounds like good advice to me.

From my dear friend Ana in Skopje, Macedonia comes this card purloined at a Nordic summer festival there. It features the work of Icelandic fashion designer Sonja Bent who, according to the bio on her website, is “a young Icelandic designer who focuses on knitwear. Playing with colour and texture she takes knitted clothes far away from frumpiness and into the modern age.” No offense, Sonja, but I think you kinda missed the target on this one.

I would love to see advertising of this type for an American supermarket, but it seems unlikely. Nevertheless, the folks at Kauppa Markets in Finland have a unique way of publicizing the fact that they are the destination for things fresh and squeezable.

The back of the card shows an only slightly suggestive image of an orange, along with some verbage that seems to imply the opposite of the phrase “forbidden fruit.” Permitted fruit? Works for me.

Better axe them how old they are first. Unilever typically markets their line of Axe men’s products with humor, showing that your use of the product will dramatically lower the inhibitions of any women in the general area. This postcard from Finland shows that your use of the product will also have an effect on girls. Pubescent girls. With braces. The back of the card reads: “The Axe Effect. Wanna hear them scream?”

Is it me, or is this concept just a little creepy?

Your communications product is jejune, and fills me with sorrow. This ad for a particular model Motorola cellphone (unfortunately, the resolution on the logo is not high enough for me to discern the product name under the wing of the “V” logo) shows a rather disaffected customer. While the card is from Finland, one would still expect that ads for consumer products would show someone having fun using the product. Instead, this young lady finds it rather depressing.

This 1999 ad is prescient, in a way; the model is holding the phone using the Steve Jobs Method for Best iPhone Reception (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off).

Here’s a gal who likes her champagne dry and expensive. This reproduction of a 1930′s calendar poster from Gande, Price & Company of Hong Kong shows you just the type of high-class ladies you can attract with some high-class hooch. But, if you’re not a high roller, not to worry; they’ll hook you up with some Taylor’s Gin, Tuborg beer, or even some grape juice, if you happen to be dating someone who’s not as high maintenance as this lady appears to be.

This card is one of six poster reproductions which arrived yesterday from Qianqian, my new best friend in China. One of the cards she sent, a 1918 calendar poster from the Lobowl Medical Company, already exists in my collection. I’ll post the other four as the weeks go by.

Never miss a chance to grab a Heine. This postcard reproduces a 1950s advertisement for Heineken beer, and arrived today from the Netherlands — where Heineken is brewed and is the number one brand. In truth, I’m not much of a beer drinker myself, but I doubt I could say no if this gal offered me one.

Good heavens! I hope this little girl doesn’t plan to rumble; they’ll go straight for her eyes. More likely this is a case of Engrish; the caption writer’s intent didn’t quite make it through the translation phase. This card was sent to me by Soso in China, who has some interesting designs of her own.

I like shiny things. This ad postcard for the SubTraction Corporation is certainly unique. SubTraction is a staffing company that places creative professionals. Creative professionals with poor fashion sense.

Nevertheless, a pretty girl is a pretty girl, even if she looks like she’s on her way to have dinner with the Tin Man. Then, after dinner, maybe a little horseback riding.

This advertising card for Baon, apparently a Russian women’s clothier, unfortunately gives no indication of when it was manufactured, but I imagine it’s within the last few years.

Olga in Novosibirsk decided that this girl was pretty enough to pass muster, and she’s right. In my most humble opinion, however, it takes a certain type of girl to pull off a sweater like this. Here’s a tip, ladies: a sweater should conform to one’s shape a little better.