cat ads of the world

(PD)

So you've seen that hilarious German ad for Netto Marken-Discount grocery stores, yes?  The one that rolls in all the cat memes?  Excellent.  That sent me on a kick...

• to this Japanese ad featuring a most unexpected, if pleasant, result of chewing refreshing gum
• and another from Japan in which "E-Neko" urges you to conserve energy
• these two British milk ads, which are a titch adversarial (and also very funny)
• Audi thought it could get away without using cats. Wrong
• Sweden's Folksam insurance company believes cats can fly
• Best chocolate biscuits ever.

this matchbox too

found on flickr, user wackystuff. creative commons attribution-noncommercial 2.0 generic 

I admit it, I've gotten on a vintage matchbox label kick.  

This one is a great excuse for the about-quarterly "Curator wishes she could have a tiger for a pet" post.  As was true last time, I know nothing about this label except that it's attributed to Japan circa 1935 and I would love to translate it.  Although someone over at the original Flickr posting suggested "Trust Constipated Tiger Brand matches!" If only that were true.

open wide! two cats one matchbox

found on flickr, user wackystuff. creative commons attribution-noncommercial 2.0 generic

What do I know about this matchbox label?
1.  It is attributed to Japan circa 1910.
2.  It is terrific.
3. I wish I could translate it.
The art of vintage matchboxes is a rich trove for collectors.  Here's a short article from Collectors Weekly to introduce this affordable, inventive genre of creativity.