listerine

Lantry1

DougLantry

ProfessorCaldwell

EnglishCompositionII

4April2006

“StaySweetAsYouAre”:AnAnalysisofChange

andContinuityinAdvertisingAimedatWomen

MagazineadvertimentsaimedatAmericanwomenhavea

longhistoryofpushingthingslikemakeup,mouthwash,soap,and

otherproductsthatreinforcemen’srolesinwomen’

conceptofpersonalhygienehasbeenudtoconveythemessage

that“catching”amanorbecomingawifeisawoman’sultimate

goal,andinadvertimentsfromthe1920s,1930s,and1950sthis

themecanbetracedthroughverbalandvisualcontent.

Forexample,a1922adforResinolsoapurgeswomento

“makethatdreamcometrue”amis

miisthatabadcomplexionwillprevent

marriageevenifawomanhasattributeslikewitandgrace,which

yskin,theadsays,will

drepellentisudforemphasisand

appearsinthesamentenceasthewordsneglectedand

humiliated,equatingthelookoftheskinwiththestateofthe

,Resinolcanremedythecondition,anda

paragraphofredemptionfollowstheparagraphaboutbeing

mentprogramissuggested,andthelookand

feelof“velvety”skinareonly“thefirsthappyeffects,”with

eventualmarriage(fulfillment)impliedastheultimateresultof

usingResinolsoap.

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kened

room,alonewomanpeersdreamilyintoafireplace,whereshe

esanapparitionofherlfasabrideinawhiteveil,being

nges

inasoftchair,wheretheglowoftheimageinthefireplacelights

herupandwarmsherasmuchasthecomfortingfireitlf.A

smallerimageshowsthewomanwashingwithResinol,

contentedlyworkingherwaytowardclearskinandmarriageover

age

isreinforcedbyherclodeyesandrenelookandbythead’s

suggestionthat“rightliving”isasourceofagoodcomplexion.

Asomewhatlessinnocentadappearedmorethanadecade

later,,forLuxsoap,liketheoneforResinol,

prescribesadailyhygieneregimen,butitdifferssignificantlyfrom

theResinolmessageinthatitnevermentionsmarriageandusa

clear-skinnedmoviestarasproofofLux’dof

toutingmarriage,Luxteachesthat“agirlwhowantstobreak

heartssimplymusthaveatea-rocomplexion.”Romance,not

marriage,isthewoman’sgoal,andcompetitionamongwomenis

emphasizedbecau“girlswhowanttomakenewconquests...

[are]suretowinout!”’spitchismore

sophisticatedthanResinol’s,appealingtoamoreemancipated

womanthanthatoftheearly1920sandofferingakindofevidence

tcites“9outof10

glamorousHollywoodstars”andscientistswhoexplainthatLux

slowsaging,butitdeclinestocitenames,exceptthatofIrene

Dunne,thead’amedstarsandscientistsgivethead

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anairofuntruthfulness,andthisnisdeepenedbythe

paradoxofthead’stitle:“Girlswhoknowthiscretalwayswin

out.”IfLuxisacret,whydoesitappearinamass-media

publication?

LikeResinol,Luxurgeswomentoekloveandfulfillment

byenhancingtheiroutwardbeautyandsuggeststhatclearskin

meanshaving“thecharmmencan’tresist.”

TheLuxad’svisualcontent,likeResinol’s,supportsitsverbal

ldemureviewsofIreneDunneemphasizeher

“pearly-smoothskin,”

allthephotos,Dunnewearsafeathery,femininecollar,givingher

abirdlikeappearance:

thebottomofthead,weeahappyDunnebeingcuddledand

admiredbyaman.

Thevisualandverbalmessageisthatwomenshouldstrive,

throughstepsactuallynumberedinthead,toattainsoft,clearskin

prisingly,theadus

thelanguageofbattletodescribetheeffectsofclearskin:girls

whouLuxwill“makenewconquests!”and“winout!”Similar

themesaredevelopedforayoungeraudienceina1954adfor

methetargetisnolongergrown

womenbutteenagegirls:“Ifyouwanttowintheboys...Stay

SweetAsYouAre!”Becauattractingmenwouldbeinappropriate

forteenagers,

ideaofstayingsweetmeansonthesurfacethatgirlsshouldhave

nicebreath,buttheyouthfulcontextoftheadmeansthatfor

womentobeattractivetheymuststayyoungand“stayadorable,”

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conquencesofnotstayingsweetareclear:ifyoudon’tu

Listerineeverymorning,everynight,andbeforeeverydate,“you’re

headedforboredomandloneliness.”IfyoudouListerine,there

are“goodtimes,goodfriends,andgaietyahead.”

LikeLux,lk

of“thebacterialfermentationofproteins,”rearch,andclinical

tests,themouthwashpropsupitsromanticandxualclaimsby

ineis“4timesbetterthanany

toothpaste,”theadproclaims.”Withprooflikethis,it’asytoe

whyListerinebelongsinyourhome.”

Visualscontributetothemessage,

centralimageisaphotoofaperky,eminglyinnocentteenage

nof

midcenturyAmericanfemininity,shewearsafittedsweater,a

scarftiedattheneck(likeawrappedprent?),andafull,long

sonthefloor,herlegshiddenbytheskirt;shecould

gforwardslightly,shelookstoward

thereader,suggestingbyherbroadsmileandsubmissiveposture

thatperhapskissingwillfollowwhenshewinstheboyswithher

ordplayeraffirmsthead’steenagetarget.

TheintendedconsumersintheResinol,Lux,andListerine

adsarewomen,andthemessageofallthreeadsisthatthe

productwillleadto—andisrequiredfor—romanticor

impliesthatphysicaltraitsare

paramountinachievingthissuccess,andtheads’appearancein

widelycirculatedmagazinessuggeststhatcatchingaman

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“‘StaySweetAsYouAre.’”ReprintedbypermissionofDougLantry.

(whetherornotshemarrieshim)istheultimategoalofevery

hereisakindofprogressovertime,the

ads’videnceof

women’sincreasingsophistication,illustratedinthelaterads’u

ofscienceand“objective”proofoftheproducts’effectiveness.

Women’sdevelopmentasindividualscanalsobeeninthat

marriageisnotpresuppodinthelaterads,andinthecaofLux

asinglewomanhasasuccessfulcareerandapparentlyhasher

pickofmanypartners.

Still,onethemeremainsconstantandmaybeenasa

continuingdebilitatingfactorinwomen’sstrugglefortrueequality

intheworldofxroles:pleasingmenistheprerequisitefor

eapparentadvancesonotherlevels,that

assumptionrunsthroughallthreeadsandisthemainlling

sumerofResinol,Lux,andListerineincouragedto

objectifyherlf,tobecomemorephysicallyattractivenotforher

ownsakebutforsomeoneel’eninallthreeadsare

beautifyingthemlvesbecautheyassumetheymust“make

newconquests,”“wintheboys,”and“makethatdreamcometrue.”

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