Sometimes the early ads were very odd indeed :Edison 1901.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

I was just sorting magazines and I ran on to this gem from the September, 1901 Cosmopolitan. Cherubs! Entertain YOUR burro with an Edison phonograph.
Jim

[schweg]

Really neat ad. Check out Mr. Burro's ears-- looks a lot like our favorite dog, doncha think?? So, to take this further down hill, I wonder if Mr. Burro had a reputation for biting people on the backside as they turned away from them? Could have made for an interesting nickname if Edison's ad staff wanted to push the limits of good taste, much like I'm doing here I guess?

OK, so it's a boring Saturday, what can I say.

[Roaring20s]

That made me bray!

What's a country boy and his ass have that you do not?
He knows how to enjoy life with an Edison Phonograph.

James

[Lucius1958]

Just get your ass down to the nearest dealer!

[Retrograde]

Thomas says... "When the music is hot just sit back on a hammock scratch your ass."

[VintageTechnologies]

Don't be an ass, buy a Victor!

[Chuck]

That's a good one! Thanks for posting it!

It's quite a common advertising technique actually. Used today, used 100 years ago, it
always works the same:

Throw together some seemingly unrelated oddball
images or sounds (in radio and tv commercials).
It catches the recipient off guard and gets their attention.

Then, next time they see these images or hear
these sounds they will think of the product
being advertised.

Tree stump, donkey, hammock, cherub...
see those and think "Edison cylinders"

Chuck