{"id":26121,"date":"2026-08-11T13:29:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/?p=26121"},"modified":"2026-08-11T21:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:23:20","slug":"burma-shave-and-the-power-of-sequential-advertising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/burma-shave-and-the-power-of-sequential-advertising\/","title":{"rendered":"Burma-Shave and the Power of Sequential Advertising"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>You\u2019re driving down the road in the 1920s in your Ford Model T, and you pass five billboards in a row:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>YOUR SHAVING BRUSH<br>HAS HAD ITS DAY<br>WHY NOT SHAVE<br>THE MODERN WAY<br>BURMA-SHAVE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burma-Shave was a revolutionary \u201cbrushless\u201d shaving cream that you could just scoop out of the jar and lather on your face, rather than using the traditional mug and brush.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the advent of automobiles and the emerging American highway system, the company pioneered this clever \u201csequential ad\u201d campaign, which ran for nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.printmag.com\/branding-identity-design\/the-morbid-roadside-ad-poetry-of-burma-shave\/\">40 years<\/a>. The Burma-Shave billboards were short, funny, and easy to read at 35 miles per hour.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<center><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&#038;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Froute66roadrelics%2Fvideos%2F911379407799039%2F&#038;show_text=false&#038;width=267&#038;t=0\" width=\"267\" height=\"476\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowFullScreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/center>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>The Signs of the Road &#8211; Burma Shave Signs on Historic Route 66<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some sequences sold the product:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe poorest guy \u2192 In the human race \u2192 Can have a \u2192 Million-dollar face \u2192 Burma-Shave\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others delivered road-safety advice with a dark little punchline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHardly a driver \u2192 Is now alive \u2192 Who passed \u2192 On hills \u2192 At 75 \u2192 Burma-Shave\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burma-Shave eventually placed more than 6,000 sign sets in 45 states, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mnhs.org\/mnopedia\/search\/index\/thing\/burma-shave?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Minnesota Historical Society<\/a>. The campaign ran for decades and helped turn a struggling shaving cream into a familiar national brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"555\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/parking-lot-with-Burma-Shave-signs.jpg\" alt=\"Parking lot with Burma Shave signs.\" class=\"wp-image-26125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/parking-lot-with-Burma-Shave-signs.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/parking-lot-with-Burma-Shave-signs-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/parking-lot-with-Burma-Shave-signs-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>Social Media Carousels: Sequential Digital Advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern marketers have something similar to the Burma-Shave campaign: <strong>social media carousels<\/strong>, which are the digital equivalent of the sequential billboard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While users are swiping up to scroll their feed, LinkedIn and Instagram carousels give users a reason to \u201cswipe right\u201d to learn more \u2013 like reading the next billboard in the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A carousel can divide a long message into readable pieces or develop an idea one card at a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"438\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Media_Shower_Carousel_1000px.png\" alt=\"LinkedIn carousel\" class=\"wp-image-26176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Media_Shower_Carousel_1000px.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Media_Shower_Carousel_1000px-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Media_Shower_Carousel_1000px-768x336.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As another example, a LinkedIn carousel created by Miroslav Petrov for an AstraZeneca chronic kidney disease awareness campaign uses the same principle to tell a more visual story.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opening cards create a dark, unsettling world and use visual metaphors to convey the threat of a disease that can progress silently. The final card introduces a brighter palette and a healthier outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/miroslav-y-petrov_campaign-carousel-ugcPost-7455880404126904320-FbIb\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"879\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/astrazeneca-sick-kidneys-break-hearts-kidney-disease.jpg\" alt=\"AstraZeneca: Sick Kidneys Break Hearts Awareness Campaign\" class=\"wp-image-26127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/astrazeneca-sick-kidneys-break-hearts-kidney-disease.jpg 879w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/astrazeneca-sick-kidneys-break-hearts-kidney-disease-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/astrazeneca-sick-kidneys-break-hearts-kidney-disease-768x435.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 879px) 100vw, 879px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em>Swipe through the full carousel on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/miroslav-y-petrov_campaign-carousel-ugcPost-7455880404126904320-FbIb\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"><em>Miroslav Petrov\u2019s LinkedIn page<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/create-a-linkedin-carousel\/\"><em>Learn more: 6 Steps to Create a LinkedIn Carousel That Drives Engagement<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>YouTube: Sequential Video Advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Carousels keep the sequence inside one interaction. <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/9182150?hl=en&amp;_gl=1*yxwmdp*_gcl_au*NDI1OTI5MTAxLjE3ODYzODc1ODkuLS4tLjE3ODYzODc1ODkuODEyMDE0MDI5LjE3ODYzODc1OTAuMTc4NjM4NzU4OQ..*_ga*MTE1MjU3OTMxOC4xNzg2Mzg3NTg5*_ga_V9K47ZG8NP*czE3ODYzODc1ODkkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODYzODc2NjQkajU4JGwwJGgw\">YouTube video ad sequencing<\/a> can show the installments days apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this format, the next ad in the sequence can depend on whether the viewer received an impression, completed a view, or skipped the previous ad, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/9172870?hl=en-GB\">Google Ads campaign guidance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/dmbb06641\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"837\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vintage-video-of-toil-and-sin-sign-woman-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage Video: &quot;Of Toil and Sin&quot; Sign With Woman Portrait\" class=\"wp-image-26128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vintage-video-of-toil-and-sin-sign-woman-portrait.jpg 837w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vintage-video-of-toil-and-sin-sign-woman-portrait-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vintage-video-of-toil-and-sin-sign-woman-portrait-768x529.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 837px) 100vw, 837px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/dmbb06641\"><em>Watch an early Burma-Shave television ad featuring the famous road signs<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>Case study: Adidas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/business.google.com\/us\/resources\/success-stories\/adidas\/\">Adidas used YouTube sequencing<\/a> when launching its Nemeziz soccer shoe. The campaign sent viewers along different paths based partly on whether they watched or skipped earlier videos in the series. <a href=\"https:\/\/business.google.com\/us\/resources\/success-stories\/adidas\/\">Google reported<\/a> a 33% increase in brand awareness and a 317% lift in product interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A well-planned sequence lets each ad do less and say more. One can introduce the idea, another can support it, and a later ad can make the case for action. Each ad still has to work on its own, but it doesn\u2019t have to pretend the viewer has never seen the brand before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"484\" height=\"434\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/burma-shave-wooden-signs.jpg\" alt=\"Burma Shave wooden signs\" class=\"wp-image-26170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/burma-shave-wooden-signs.jpg 484w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/burma-shave-wooden-signs-300x269.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><figcaption><em>The old wooden Burma-Shave signs have become collectors items. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/urbanremainschicago.com\/products\/original-c-1950-s-classic-roadside-americana-burma-shave-human-race-painted-double-sided-wood-advertising-sign\"><em>Source<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Burma-Shave relied on the highway to hold its story together. Modern marketers have to build that path themselves, either by keeping the sequence inside one post or by controlling how separate ads reach the viewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The formats have changed, but the essential creative question has not: What will make someone want the next installment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>One post is great <\/em><\/strong>\u2192<strong><em> But stories shine <\/em><\/strong>\u2192<strong><em> When every part <\/em><\/strong>\u2192<strong><em> Falls into line <\/em><\/strong>\u2192<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/freetrial\/\"><em> <\/em><strong><em>Media Shower<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions About Sequential Advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>What were Burma-Shave signs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Burma-Shave signs were roadside advertisements that revealed a short message one phrase at a time. The classic arrangement generally used six signs, with the Burma-Shave name appearing last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>When did Burma-Shave begin using roadside signs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first Burma-Shave sign sets appeared along Minnesota highways in 1925. The campaign continued into the 1960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is sequential advertising?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sequential advertising presents related messages in a planned order so later installments can build on earlier ones. The sequence may unfold inside one format, such as a carousel, or across separate ads delivered over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>How do LinkedIn carousels support sequential advertising?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>LinkedIn carousels keep multiple cards within one post or ad. Marketers determine the card order, while readers decide whether to continue through the sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is YouTube video ad sequencing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube video ad sequencing is a Google Ads capability that delivers a planned series of video ads to individual viewers. Movement through the series can depend on impressions, views, or skips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>How should marketers measure a sequential campaign?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Marketers should examine the performance of each installment and the movement between them. Useful questions include where viewers leave the sequence, which interactions move them forward, and whether later installments produce stronger interest among people who encountered the earlier ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t<div class=\"category-view-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2>More Tools for Busy Marketing Managers:<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"category-view-articles ms-submit-posts\">\n\t\t\t\t<section id=\"recent-posts\" class=\"recent-posts\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t        <div id=\"post\">\n\t\t\t            <header class=\"clearfix\">\n\t\t\t                <div id=\"single-header\">\n\n\t\t\t                    \n\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    <div id=\"single-header-img\">\n\t\t\t\t                        <img src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Smiling-man-in-blazer-holding-a-laptop-against-peach-background.png\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t                    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t                    <div id=\"single-header-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t                        <h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/marketing-and-sales-one-pagers\/\">How To Create a Sales and Marketing One-Pager Using AI (+ Examples)<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t                    <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t                    \n\t\t\t                <\/div>\n\t\t\t            <\/header>\n\t\t\t        <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t        <div id=\"post\">\n\t\t\t            <header class=\"clearfix\">\n\t\t\t                <div id=\"single-header\">\n\n\t\t\t                    \n\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    <div id=\"single-header-img\">\n\t\t\t\t                        <img src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Young-woman-shouting-into-a-megaphone-on-pink-background.png\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t                    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t                    <div id=\"single-header-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t                        <h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/press-release-generator\/\">How to Write a Press Release (Prompts, Tools, and Examples)<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t                    <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t                    \n\t\t\t                <\/div>\n\t\t\t            <\/header>\n\t\t\t        <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t        <div id=\"post\">\n\t\t\t            <header class=\"clearfix\">\n\t\t\t                <div id=\"single-header\">\n\n\t\t\t                    \n\t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    \t\t\t\t                    <div id=\"single-header-img\">\n\t\t\t\t                        <img src=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Man-in-glasses-holding-a-laptop-and-smiling-on-pink-background.png\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t                    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t                    <div id=\"single-header-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t                        <h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/marketing-brief-blueprint\/\">The Marketing Brief: Blueprints, Examples, and Templates<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t                    <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t                    \n\t\t\t                <\/div>\n\t\t\t            <\/header>\n\t\t\t        <\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n\n<p> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the historic idea behind sequential advertising and how LinkedIn carousels and YouTube ad sequences bring Burma-Shave\u2019s brilliance to the modern feed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":26124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[459],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26121"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26121"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26177,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26121\/revisions\/26177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}