Ads for teenagers
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Modess Snipes at Kotex (U.S.A.), October 1949
In October 1949, Modess and Kotex published cartoon ads.
The Kotex sanitary napkin ad, part of a long
series of advice-to-teenager ads (see here for
more), speaks in a wise-guy teenage slang,
supposedly appealing to teens of the time and reflecting their speech. It
brings to mind Frank Sinatra songs, fast and tough.
But the Modess menstrual pad ad, below, imitating the Kotex format,
scoffs at this speech and advice and cattily advises kids (I assume the
two women are teenagers, below, although they look about 35) that tactfulness
is the key. Note that in the ad and in the booklet it promotes - Growing Up and Liking It - there's little slang and cutesiness.
The booklet uses drawings like the Kotex ad's, which are much better than
the drawing in their ad, below, which I find a tad strange.
The two companies were the main producers of pads for menstruation at
this time, which probably explains the static.
I broke the ad into two parts to make it download
faster.
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Notice how much is said about secrecy
in the lower picture, a common concern.
Read the advertised booklet.
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See another Modess True or False? ad (January
1947, from The American Girl magazine) - Ads for
teenagers
© 1999 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any
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