The world of advertisement and marketing is a dark, scary place. We all, even those of us who aren’t parents yet, worry about the effect aggressive advertising has on the younger generation. But what if I told you, in all our worry, we have tragically missed a whole era where it was the kids that affected the advertising industry… and not always in the best of ways.

Be warned. The following vintage ads featuring some of the creepiest kids in history may give you nightmares.

1. I remember being a kid, but never did I look at my food like I was going to skin it alive and start with its heart.

Wait But Why

2. Some adverts were just plain wrong.

Wait But Why

3. These, for instance, were brought to you by the Mother of the Year Association.

Wait But Why

4. And some took it upon themselves to champion the cause of bad, nay, unbelievably horrifying parenting.

Wait But Why

5. These kids looked at things like they were on drugs!

Wait But Why

6. Some adverts featured old-people kids that will haunt you on your deathbed.

Wait But Why

7. And some were just. Plain. Racist. AF.

Wait But Why

8. There seems to have been one child star in the advertising world. He’s remembered for his sloppy eating and his hypnotising creepy-eyes.

Wait But Why

9.  Look at the 3rd kid’s eyes. There’s something very sinister happening there.

Wait But Why

10. Uhm. I don’t even know where to start for this one. Just why.

Wait But Why

11. ‘Pears’ has to have some deep, dark secret that this kid discovered between these two shoots.

Pinterest

12. She’s a cute little girl, but wait, is she twisting that puppy’s neck?

Cutting The Chai

13. That tutorial to blowing a bubble is sure to give you nightmares. Just look at those teeth!

Beebom

14. So what’s in those tins? Baby heads?

Cutting The Chai

15. Here’s a couple of little ones running their own little meth lab. Science, bitch!

Pinterest

I know, I know. Thank God that the world of advertising and marketing is so very sane and ethical these days, amirite?

LOL! Sorry, Kendall Jenner just walked into my brain and handed me a Pepsi.