Woman's Weekly / 11th July 1969
Spray starch is still sold, of course, but starched clothes have been out of fashion for quite some time. It seems that the ‘easy care’ revolution of the 1960s changed attitudes forever, and I’m not surprised. Who, after all, really wants to make their life more difficult?
Tags: blatant sexism, household, retail
Woman's Weekly / 4th July 1969
White. The brave woman’s choice. Although tampons are certainly less cumbersome than other methods of sanitary protection, it doesn’t protect against other symptoms, such as pain, tiredness and irritation with men making jokes about PMT. Mind you, the irritation with men lasts all month round…
Woman's Weekly / 11th July 1969
This ad captures a point in consumer camera equipment where flashcubes (disposable flashes) were beginning to be included with cameras, rather than a flash being seen as a permanently separate element. I remember my parents using flashcubes, but all of my cameras have had electronic flashes included. The references to ‘drop in’ films probably signify the start of film cartridge use for non-instant cameras, something I remember being very common in the 1980s. Digital cameras have solved this problem, of course.
The model for kids makes sense, but the model for women heavily implies that women aren’t interested in taking the best photos they can. This could all be waved away as quaint old sexism, were it not for nonsense such as this from Bic, Lego’s appalling ‘Friends’ range, or this ‘girly laptop’.
Remind me what year we’re in?
Tags: blatant sexism, retail, social history
Weekend / 30th January 1974
So many gems here, but what really leaped out at me from this collection was the topless catsuit, as I remember ads for something similar in the News of the World, which my parents read regularly when I grew up. The weekend supplement was responsible for a fair bit of my sex education; thank goodness my parents were willing to answer the questions I had after reading the articles!
Tags: adverts totally made of wrong, dodgy advice, fashion, retail, social history
Weekend / 30th January 1974
I present this with no comment, apart from noting that 100 Oxford Street is now occupied by Game, and the downstairs is, of course, the legendary 100 Club.
Woman's Weekly / 2nd May 1969
I know he’s just a boy, but look at the SIZE of that toaster…
Woman's Weekly / 2nd May 1969
And in contrast to the previous ad, here’s an evocative picture of Anchor butter, which, oddly enough, is currently celebrating its 125th birthday in the UK at the moment. The official site doesn’t boast of Jersey cream, unlike the ad here, but emphasises its free-range credentials instead.
Woman's Weekly / 6th June 1969
This advert sums up my attitude to cream, which my taste buds thank me for and my heart detests me for.
Tags: cream, Dairy Marketing Board, food, retail
Woman's Realm / 31st March 1967
Judging from this ad, contemporary Tampax must have formed channels that menses could leak out of. If anyone can confirm, I’d be grateful! Lil-Lets still talk about width-ways expansion, and they’ve been a lot more explicit about comparing the Lil-Let to Tampax products for, ooh, at least the last 25 years, as I remember this ‘dip test’ from my adolesence. I could go on, but I’m aware that some of my audience are already feeling a bit queasy. Incidentally, boys, menses is NOT blue.
Woman's Weekly / 30th May 1969
This isn’t a bad tag line for HP Sauce: perhaps they should use that now! Call me ignorant, but I’ve never heard of veal and egg pie…