Advertising Hall of Horrors (Part 2)

A few days ago we presented the Advertising Hall of Horrors (Part 1). Brace yourselves… it’s time to step back into our advertising time machine and be shocked by Part 2…

The 40s, 50s and 60s were days of suburbia and homes springing up everywhere with their white picket fences and happy families with their 2.4 kids. One little boy, one little girl, and… 40% of something else, I guess. But as happy as everything seemed on the sitcoms, it was a disturbing world by many of today’s standards, as we see in the ads of those days.

Let’s take a look at our first two… with their stereotypes aplenty. First up, the Kenmore Chef:

An outdated ad for the Kenmore Chef.

And what’s a chef without ketchup (or catsup)? So here’s the second:

Del Monte ad: You mean a woman can open it?

In case you can’t read the small print, here’s the title and first paragraph:

• “You mean a woman can open it? Easily—without a knife blade, a bottle opener, or even a husband! All it takes is a dainty grip, an easy, two-finger twist—and the catsup is ready to pour.”

It seems that those quaint little homes of the era held some darker secrets as well. Ads targeting both men and women were not above some “humorous” references to domestic violence, as we see in the next two samples:

Outdated Chase & Sanborn ad: If your husband ever finds out

And for an early version of “going postal,” how about this ad of an executive’s frustration over an assistant who just doesn’t seem to share his respect for the new Pitney Bowes postal meter:

Old Pitney Bowes ad: Is it always illegal to kill a woman?

There are all sorts of questions and observations that spring up from ads like these, not only about advertising effectiveness, but about society in general. What impact did such stereotypes have on the self-respect and career aspirations of the girls and women of the time? Did many women of that era find these ads offensive? Did many man? And from a pure advertising perspective, were these ads controversial at the time, or did they just fit in comfortably with the cultural norms of their day?

There are many ads today that still arouse concerns over their sexist viewpoints or stereotypes. Some undoubtedly choose to do so as a means of grabbing attention. However, others still appear from time to time that seem to somehow create controversy without ever having anticipated it.

What are the ads that stand out to you in today’s mix? Are there any that seem especially misdirected or even malicious? What do you think of these past ads and norms? Harmless fun or damaging limits being imposed? The comment box is waiting to hear from you, and you can then check out the Advertising Hall of Horrors (Part 3)!