Friday, October 24, 2014

Every Age is the Age of Advertising

And now a word from our sponsor…

Those particular words didn’t come into play until the radio, but advertising has been around since the beginning of mankind.  Cavemen painted billboards on rock walls and the ancient Romans printed advertisements for gladiatorial games on papyrus.

After the invention of the printing press advertisements began appearing in newspapers and periodicals. Circulars were posted on chimneys, lamp posts, walls, wagons, fences—you name it.  Since painting the town with ads was considered a public nuisance men with buckets of paste worked mostly at night. 

Ads were designed not only to sell products, but also to solve personal and social problems. In many cases, people were oblivious to body odor or halitosis until some enterprising marketer brought it to their attention.

Sense and Sensibilities
 Looking back, we can’t help but laugh at some of the strange wording used to
avoid offending customers.   During the 1800s the word limb was used for leg and white meat for chicken breast.  No one dared to mention pants or trousers in polite company.  This posed a challenge for marketers. 

The Scott Company was so embarrassed at the prospect of advertising toilet paper during the 1880s that they customized the paper for their clients. The Waldorf Hotel became a big name in toilet paper and when a customer walked into a general store and requested a roll of Waldorf, no questions were asked. 

Speaking of toilet paper, Northern Tissue advertised “splinter-free” toilet paper in 1935.  If that doesn’t want to make you go “ouch” consider this: the “cure” for a certain male condition currently blasted nightly from the TV was, in the early 1900s, thought to be electric belts.

The westward migration spurred advertisements for real estate, investments, tourism and brides.  In 1860 the Pony Express advertisement in California read: "Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”

The Civil War created a great need for clothes, shoes and ready made food and advertisements during the era reflected the new consumerism. 

Writers hear a lot about “branding” today, and we can thank the patent medicine companies of yesteryear for that.  By touting exotic ingredients, producers could distinguish themselves from competitors.  Other companies followed suit and slogans like the “soap that floats” became increasingly popular. 

It’s Wonderful, Amazing, Spectacular…
Exaggeration was the order of the day and no one was better at reeling off adjectives than Richard Sears.  Eventually, Sears toned down the ads and was quoted as saying, "Honesty is the best policy. I know because I've tried it both ways."

Honesty didn’t come easy for some advertisers and reform was needed. In 1892, the Ladies' Home Journal announced it would no longer accept patent medicine ads. The bogus potions were costing Americans millions of dollars per year, and were coming under heavy attack by critics and consumers.

In our factory, we make lipstick.  In our advertising, we sell hope." -Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Women purchased most of the household goods and so it made sense to have women create the ads.  As early as the 1900s advertisers welcomed female employees.  The first advertisement to use sex as a selling point was created by a woman for Woodbury soap. Tame by today’s standards, the advertisement featured a couple and the message “The skin you love to touch.”  Not only did this raise eyebrows, but it promised anyone savvy enough to buy the product more than just clean skin.  It worked:  Sales skyrocketed.

Studying advertisements is a great way to learn the customs, concerns, prejudices and history of earlier times.  I shudder to think what future generations might gather from ours.

What is your favorite or least favorite ad?

Now a word from my sponsor...

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  1. Fun post, Margaret. Do you know if those ad pasters had a name other that "ad paster"? Calling toilet paper Waldorf is a hoot. I have always called tissues for the nose Kleenexes, no matter what brand I buy. It's what I grew up calling it. And you've already list my least favorite ad. Oh, and I don't like the Sonic ads with the two guys in them. They're just dumb. My favorite ads are usually the funny ones, and I like the Valspar ones with the chameleons that change color--because I love colors.

    1. Hi Vickie, I think they were called bill posters. I don't like the sonic ads, either. I can't imagine that "dumb" sells.

      I still call tissues Kleenex. I also know someone who calls her vacuum the Hoover, no matter what the brand. Funny how some brand names work their way into the language.

      Have a great weekend!

  2. I love looking through old magazines and newspapers, because the old ads remind me that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Women in the 1800s were concerned about their figures, products promised to make cleaning easier or more effective, etc. etc.

    1. Stephanie, you're so right! People don't really change that much, do they?

  3. My least favorite ad? Casual sex.
    My favorite ad? The old Burma-Shave signs along Route 66 when I was a young girl. Kept me looking for the next one ~ even if I didn't understand it when it came to the end one. Oh, and I liked the Vicks ones ~ we used Vicks for every ailment! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

    1. Oh, yes! I loved those old Burma-Shave signs. I think they taught me to read. I still use Vicks for every ailment! LOL.

  4. Oh--and I'm still laughing about the dangers of "unsafe bathroom paper." It's always something.

    1. Stephanie, that "unsafe toilet paper" made me laugh too. I also laugh at all the warnings that come with the prescription drug ads. They make it sound like the cure is worse than the ailment.

  5. What a fun post, Margaret! So many interesting facts--and a lot of chuckles. =)

  6. The 12 Brides of Christmas looks very exciting! I like the Babies selling investments commercials on TV. sm wileygreen1(at)