Anyone who’s ever seen the creepy Love’s Baby Soft print ads depicting children wearing makeup and holding teddy bears (see below) has probably first shuddered with horror and then fumed with righteous feminist anger. Who the EFF created these ads, you rightly asked. Well, if you want to see that idea gone turbo, brace yourself, and watch this.
That this commercial came out during the height of the women's movement in the US (the same year the famous Charlie commercial celebrating the liberated woman came out) says that the Patriarchy in the form of Ad Men were not going to go gently into that good night without putting women in their place. And I'm not talking their place back in the kitchen or bedroom, but back in a crib, infantalized and sexualized at the same time. Creeeeepy.
(Voiceover) “There’s one person nobody can resist, and that’s a baby. So Love’s made Baby Soft. The innocent scent of a cuddly clean baby that grew up very sexy. In foaming bath, body powder, and body mist. So innocent it may be the sexiest fragrance around. Love’s Baby Soft. Because innocence is sexier than you think.”
Ughh!!
I do remember the Charlie ads, but am glad I missed this. I wore Love's Fresh Lemon -- can't remember the ads for that either, but here's one from youtube (for the cleanser, not the spray):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYdHa5XWxVc
(Feel free to delete the link if it's not ok.)
Posted by: Lindaloo | January 22, 2014 at 03:47 PM