12 Illustrations From 1900 With Forecasts Of The Future In 2000

Not just a funny sketch from the Conan O’Brien show. In 2000, there was also a smart marketing campaign for the German chocolate brand Hildebrand’s. Just in time for the turn of the 20th century, chocolate ordered 12 postcards, predicting what life will be like for 100 years in the future.

Starting in January 1900, they put a card in each box of chocolate with a fantastic prediction of what will happen in the future. And they were not the only company that thought about such a stunt, similar illustrations were also ordered in France at the World Exhibition. These futuristic illustrations were published from 1899 to 1910, first in the form of cards in boxes for cigarettes, and then, as postcards. With the passage of time, no less than 87 cards were issued from different French artists.

So, what now seems stupid and that in fact is not too far from the truth? It’s amazing to see that in some respects the artists were not too far away, like moving sidewalks or streams of live performances, while others give a good laugh.

For example, an indoor city may be a bit impractical, and a car with good weather is something that would be especially useful now, but still does not exist. What other predictions were these artists able to come up with as part of an intelligent marketing campaign?