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Category:
Advertising

My Excellent South American Adventure

Despite my daily posts last week, I was really among the missing. I spent from the 20th to the 27th (counting travel time) in Medellin, Colombia, being a guest speaker at this conference.

But now I'm home, and have read all the posts and comments from the past week, and just want to say a big thanks to Alex and Chuck and all the witty, talented WU-vies who make this site so wonderful.

Here are two fotos from my trip.

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Salsa dancers working up a sweat to advertise something at EIGHT IN THE MORNING! I was ready to buy anything the ladies offered.

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Strange grafitti. What revelation is the monkey experiencing?
Posted By: Paul | Date: Tue Feb 28, 2012 | Comments (8)
Category: Animals, Conventions, Advertising, Paul, Dance, South America

Follies of the Mad Men #176

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Here's my concern. Is this a human Sherlock Holmes wearing a can disguise? If so, it's not one of his masterstrokes.

Or is this a living tin can with fleshy appurtenances? In which case, the ad is the stuff of nightmares!

Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul | Date: Sun Feb 26, 2012 | Comments (5)
Category: Body, Business, Advertising, Products, Literature, Surrealism, 1930's, Fictional Monsters

Aussie Ads







Down Under, we learn: 1) flies are thugs; 2) cigarettes form an integral part of every hootenanny; and 3) female motorists have bigger headlights than their cars.



Posted By: Paul | Date: Wed Feb 22, 2012 | Comments (19)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Insects, Tobacco and Smoking, Sex Symbols, 1960's, 1950's, Breasts, Cars

Bearded Boy Scouts

A few months ago, the Boy Scouts of America launched a new ad campaign featuring bearded boy scouts. I don't think anyone has yet figured out what the campaign is supposed to mean, or why it's supposed to make boys want to be boy scouts. (links: time.com, offbeatearth)

Posted By: Alex | Date: Sat Feb 18, 2012 | Comments (22)
Category: Advertising

Follies of the Mad Men #175



For one fraction of a second after he sniffs it, I was sure the human was going to chow down on this bowl of dog food. After all, if the dog can talk, why not?
Posted By: Paul | Date: Wed Feb 15, 2012 | Comments (13)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Dogs, 1970's

Maidenform Dream

Never mind that she's playing pool in her bra, on a pool table that appears to be wet. What's going on with that hairdo?


(via Vintage Ads)
Posted By: Alex | Date: Fri Feb 10, 2012 | Comments (7)
Category: Fashion, Hair Styling, Underwear, Advertising

Where Women Look Best

This Clairol ad claimed that "The average American woman looks her best in the bathroom." Which suggests the ad-men must have spent a lot of time spying on women in bathrooms to find this out.


(via Kitchen Retro)
Posted By: Alex | Date: Thu Feb 09, 2012 | Comments (4)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Advertising

Lucy Lettuce

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Years ago I made a series of collages illustrating what I called "Lesser-Known Advertising Icons." The D List of product representatives. Here's another one I just found, pictured above.

For every Tony the Tiger, there are scores of Lucy Lettuces.

Original ad here.

Click on the link below the book cover image for a volume on the topic.

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What a Character!: 20th Century American Advertising Icons


Posted By: Paul | Date: Tue Feb 07, 2012 | Comments (4)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Advertising, Books, Vegetables, 1940's

The Super Suds Experiment

In 1947, Colgate-Palmolive conducted a test to prove that just one package of Super Suds detergent could fill two trucks full of suds. Because who wouldn't want a kitchen full of suds!

Posted By: Alex | Date: Mon Feb 06, 2012 | Comments (3)
Category: Advertising, Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods

Smelly Hands

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Is this a common problem among ladies?

Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul | Date: Thu Feb 02, 2012 | Comments (4)
Category: Body, Skin and Skin Conditions, Business, Advertising, Products, Unsolved Mysteries, Public Humiliation, 1930's
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All original content in posts is Copyright © 2008 by the author of the post, either Alex Boese ("Alex"), Paul Di Filippo ("Paul"), or Chuck Shepherd ("Chuck"). All rights reserved. The banner illustration at the top of this page is Copyright © 2008 by Rick Altergott.