Advertising: The good, the bad and the ugly

A column by Dena Martin

It's always fun browsing through past issues of The Times, especially when it comes to perusing advertisements from bygone years. Times have certainly changed. In some ways for the better, and in others, not so much.

Ads of the past were far from politically correct. I did a bit of Googling on ads from the 20s through 50s and found some gems.

A series of ads from the 30s urged women to use Iodized yeast to prevent being "skinny." According to some of these ads, men were "disgusted" by thin women. Hmmmm.

An ad showing a baby with a bottle of cola asks parents 'How soon is too soon?" and states "Laboratory tests have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early formative period have a much higher chance of gaining acceptance and "fitting in" during those awkward pre-teen and teen years. So, do yourself a favor. Do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness." Thank the Soda Pop Board of America for that one.

A Camel cigarette ad promotes its brand saying, "According to a recent Nationwide survey: More Doctors Smoke Camels than any other Cigarette."

One can't help but question just who was administering these laboratory tests and nationwide surveys. The need for questioning sources still applies today, by the way.

Other ads were outright bigoted, objectifying, or sexist. I'll admit that Love's Baby Soft was my favorite perfume in high school. At the time, I never questioned the fact that the model in the ad with the tagline "Because innocence is sexier than you think" holds a teddy bear and looks to be about 13-years old. Yikes!

These days the media, social and otherwise, offers swift recourse against advertisements, advertisers and spokespersons that are found offensive. This can be both good and bad, in my opinion.

Another big difference from the past is how targeted advertising is these days. At times, it can be downright scary. I've had more than one friend say they started seeing Facebook ads on a product they were standing next to in a store, even though they had never searched for it on their phone or computer.

I've had similar experiences that left me wondering, "How did they know I was thinking about that?" Honestly, I'm more than hesitant to click a link or Google something that I am interested in these days just because I fear the onslaught of advertising I'll likely initiate.

I recently read that, after a successful trial in Chicago, Walgreens plans to expand its facial recognition advertising. The franchise has partnered with Color Screens to develop face-recognizing, eye-tracking screens that cover the front panels of cooler doors and display different ads based on age, gender and even the temperature outside. Fifteen advertisers, including Coca-Cola, Nestle and Miller Coors have already signed up to advertise.

Honestly, I don't even know what to think about that. I guess, even though the medium has changed, the age-old message remains the same. Buyer beware . . . or, at least 'be aware.'

That said, advertising in your local paper is still a great way to respectfully reach a targeted and interested market. And who knows, maybe your ad will have the privilege of providing amusement or preserving a bit of local history for those browsing the archives fifty years from now. You never know.