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

[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.