how would you define evil?

[miriam_e]

Proof at last that it is not a genuine ad. Breathe a little easier folks. See here for a reply by its creator, rjwhite.

Thanks to annie_lynne for making me think... better late than never. I reflexively jumped too soon. I should have checked it out first. The picture below may actually be a fake. I can't find any definitive proof, but looking more carefully at its text I notice the word "guaranteed" has been misspelled as "gauranteed". I really don't think ad-men would miss that one. Sad that I think they'd care more about spelling than damaging babies.

If you find it difficult to read the text:

For a better start in life start cola earlier!

How soon is too soon?

Not soon enough. Laboratory tests over the last few years 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.

The Soda Pop Board of America.
1515 W. Hart Ave. - Chicago, ILL

The labels on the Coke bottle read:

• Promotes Active Lifestyle!
• Boosts Personality!
• Gives body essential sugars!

Perhaps advertisers were so used to lying they didn't see the problem in addicting babies to that crap. This stuff is up there with that sociopathic stuff about "more doctors smoke Camel cigarettes than any other brand".

Has it changed? or are these monsters just more subtle now?

Comments

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Oh.
My.
Goodness.
That is evil.

Has it changed? or are these monsters just more subtle now?

Subtle. Much, much more so.

[annie-lyne.livejournal.com]

It seems like the image is a fake: google the address. It's a little too close to reality for comfort, however it did twig my BS-meter a little...

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I don't usually get taken in by fakes, but that was a good'un.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Thanks for making me think. I'm ashamed to say I just reacted with automatic revulsion. I should have looked more carefully.

I can't find anything online that clearly says it is fake, but now see the misspelled word "guaranteed" in the text and that makes me think you're right.

I grew up seeing many evil advertisements when I was a kid, and I still see truly repellent examples even now, so I simply accepted it at face value.

However... even though I now doubt it's genuine I still can't find anything that proves it is fake. I hope it is fake.

[kremmen.livejournal.com]

Even though it's a fake, I wouldn't care if it had been real. There are ads which make false claims which are (effectively) unable to be verified by the consumer, such as incorrect ingredients, health claims, etc. Bad stuff. But the insubstantial and obviously falacious claims that cola or cigarettes are healthy? Sorry, but there has to be a point where the blame for any effectiveness of such ads starts to shift to those who are dumb enough to believe them.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... a little harsh. Blame the victim?

I know there is a culture of praising intelligence and devil take the stupid, but one of the most wonderful people I ever met was mentally retarded. He was a finer person than me and the ten smartest people I've ever known.

I tend to think that if stupid people are sucked in by con-artists then it is our failing as smart people for not protecting them. We all have something to contribute to society. Intelligence is just another quality. Admittedly it is an incredibly powerful one, but it is just one more thing that some of us bring to the table.

[kremmen.livejournal.com]

Your example is an exception. Someone with a disability is going to need assistance to cope with life in general. Far better to assist those who need it than to reduce everything to the lowest common denominator. A lot of people simply make dumb choices because of peer pressure or laziness or not caring. Really, it's none of our business if some people want to make what we consider dumb choices. Diversity and personal responsibility are good.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Diversity and personal responsibility are good.

Absolutely! Diversity is imperative if we are to survive. And personal accountability is extremely important, but so is social accountability. Predatory practices should be brought to account. Those without the wits to defend themselves against the predators need help. It isn't about reducing things to the lowest common denominator, but raising the quality of, for example, advertising. In my view the day advertisers cease lying to their customers and performing a real service is the day I stop being repelled by their slimy profession.

When I was a kid I used to enjoy reading the advertisements in science magazines because they actually informed. Nowadays advertisements in science magazines are generally no better than those in trashy magazines from the supermarket checkout -- all about the slick look, and peppered with falsehoods.

It is totally our business if people make dumb choices because they have been lied to so much that they don't know what a smart choice is. If we abandon having a sane society then we deserve whatever fucked-up thing we get. I'm not talking about imposing strict laws with harsh punishments, and I'm not talking about being a vigilante. All I mean is helping a couple of less smart people see the predator's fangs behind the colorful façade. If each smart person helped just a few of those around them we would have a really nice world.

[dances-withcats.livejournal.com]

I've seen ads in real, honest-to-goodness Life magazines from the 1940s that just boggle my mind. The cigarette ads were just crazy. I remember one that said something like, "A cigarette before dinner enhances your appetite. A cigarette during dinner enhances the taste of your food. A cigarette after dinner aids your digestion."

LOLWUT?

Anybody who's ever smoked knows the exact opposite is true. Cigarettes take your appetite away (which is why so many models live on cigarettes and celery), they decrease your ability to taste your food, and they actually hurt your digestion because of the stimulant properties of nicotine.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

That is so weird. I guess we shouldn't underestimate the power of the printed word. After all, every religion has its printed words, and those words can make people think they can survive the bite of a rattlesnake, or live on in heaven to screw virgins forever after committing mass murder. Believing an appetite suppressant helps digestion is really not so difficult compared with those.

Years ago I read an article by a guy who used to work in the advertising industry, but had to get out because he couldn't take the lying anymore. One of the things he said was that if they couldn't find anything good to say about the product they would choose a disadvantage and promote that as if it was a good thing. I frankly didn't believe it at the time -- who would be taken in by that shit, right? But since then I keep seeing advertisers doing just that. What a repellent business.

[xxclovergrrlxx.livejournal.com]

yeaaah, i really doubt it's real. i couldn't find any proof it's a fake either though. my first BS twitch was from the use of the term "soda pop" though.

it put my brain on a long tangent wondering if "soda pop" was generally the accepted term in chicago during that time. it probably was, but now days, most say "pop" in chicago. hell, according to some of the stat sites i looked at, more people say "soda" in michigan than in illinois, and i've never actually heard anyone order a "soda" that wasn't from somewhere else. america has this great pop vs. soda divide (and just plain "coke" in the south). my uncle said "soda" for a while after he moved back from living in california for 10 years though.

[rjwhite.livejournal.com]

http://thecitydesk.net/baby_soda_ad/

I corrected the "guaranteed" a few years ago, as this started making the rounds once again. Still shocked that keeps showing up every so often.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it. Good that you now include the address to thecitydesk.net at the bottom of the artwork.

I suspect it will continue to live on for some time though, as advertising people live near the bottom of the heap along with used-car salesmen and politicians. Most people (including me) are quick to think the worst of them because it is way too easy to believe. It's not hard to think the worst of people who would target cancer-sticks deliberately at children, for instance (the Marlboro campaign). And we are all aware of how common it is to find advertisements carefully worded to mislead ("...washes whiter than other powders").