Spoil Your Wife
Throughout the 1900s, advertisers targeted both men and women with ads for home appliances. They acknowledged that although women will be the primary users of products such as vacuum cleaners and ovens, it was males who made the final purchasing choice. In this advertisement for a soil-free oven, the advertiser attracts the attention of males by referring to the product as a “wifesaver” and appeals to women by emphasizing how much simpler their lives would be if they owned one. In the past, a lady who received a new oven or vacuum was deemed spoiled, whereas a spouse today would have to provide an explanation.
Spoil Your Wife
Being Beautiful Causes Pain
Advertisers have been promising for almost a century that their products will make women appear younger, thinner, and more attractive. It’s an industry worth billions of dollars, for crying out loud. This is unlikely to ever change, but happily, the quality of the products has considerably increased. While this 1890 advertisement is touting a chin reduction and beautifier, the gadget resembles a medieval torture device. The tagline “Curves of Youth” promises aged women that they can once again appear as they did when they were younger. The same message is conveyed in advertisements for plastic surgery, despite the fact that it would not be effective in the modern marketplace.
Being Beautiful Causes Pain
