old shame

now, i hope this one 'clicks to enlarge' properly. because, in order to really get the ...humor? of this advertisement, you really have to zoom in and read the copy. it looks like it was from the late 20's, early '30's. it tells the story of a young woman's trouble finding a job in a dress shop... all because of an embarrassing personal issue. it must be really far back, because i can't ever remember 'lifebouy' soap ever being marketed towards women in my lifetime. anyway, i think it's a scream. god knows, its like, advertising 101... if you can make the general public, (and especially women) wallow in shame, you can potentially sell them anything. the only thing that would make this funnier, is if the main female was given a first name for the strip. like, 'miss saunders' or 'mabel' or something. poor mabel, she needs to be told the truth-to-her-face. as i said, 'click to read.'

c is for cigarette ad

mmm, we've come a long way, babies! i am jussst old enough to remember cigarettes being freely advertised in television commericals. since then i've studied advertising, and the psychology at work behind it. (most of it is common sense.) it doesn't take a nobel prize winner to see that they're using sex (or more specifically 'boobs' to sell the naughty-sounding-in-the-first-place Tiparillos.) i think they're leaning on the 'penthouse forum letter' angle on this one. i mean, how many cellists do you know practice and play in an open lacy dress blouse with perfect hair and make-up whilst smoking...? i love it. i really can't tear it apart too harshly, because i just 'burned a Camel' less than an hour ago. i love the ad, though. in another life, i think i must've been a high-powered Ad Man for some slick firm. (click to enlarge)

toothpaste

i love print advertising from the 1970's. and colgate is my favored toothpaste, and i dig brooke shields. so i thought i'd post this shot. (i needed a splash of pink and red anyway.) for a while there, in the mid-80's, i thought brooke seemed to be a little dopey when she started hanging around with jacko, but hey, we all grow up, don't we? and as cheesy as it is, i have to admit, i think she's beautiful. and i still like 'the blue lagoon,' and that movie she made where she 'teenage-hid-out' in george burns house. what the hell was that movie called? was it, 'here's lookin' at you, kid?' i think it was something like that. i think she's cool now, too. hey, i think i just saw her in a new toothpaste ad yesterday!