Ivory Soap Ad

 

This ad is for Ivory soap, a beauty product featured here during the 1940s. The ad is geared towards young women who held positions in the war. Lots of women were nurses and other minor positions during the war, which is who this ad is targeted towards. Women probably wanted to feel their best even though they were on duty, and the ad tries to appeal to that need.

The ad makes the successful argument that women need to look their best while on duty and serving their country. This argument is successful because many women were needed in the war, and while being is such a grim and gross environment, it was important for them to feel clean and pretty, as most women liked to feel during that time. Thus, telling them that Ivory soap could help them achieve this sanitary and pretty feeling, women in service are being drawn to the ad.

The message utilizes the time of war and incorporates it into their ad by appealing to the women who will be serving. This was the time of World War II, and many women were taking a bigger role in being a part of the war, which makes this ad a huge appeal to women all over the nation.

 

This ad is selling a type of cleansing soap to women who are in the war and need a solution to the harsh conditions they are facing, plus the minimal time they will be able to spend on self-grooming. The ad fits into World War II time period, where women were working more in and outside of the war.

The advertising method being used is photojournalism due to the loud headline and large photograph that grab the attention of the viewer. The ad is centered around the large header and the picture of the women in uniform on the phone is the main focus.

Ivory soap would be useful for the women who were going into war and needed something that could keep their skin healthy, but didn't take too much time or effort to use and keep. During this time, America was in wartime and many women were needed in special positions and were beginning to be able to travel in service areas. These places would not have given them easy access to everyday grooming products and having a quick easy bar of soap to keep their face fresh and clean would be appealing to them.

The stereotypes shown are that women in the war need to still look their best even though they might not have had the time or necessities. Also, there are men dressed in uniforms with their guns in hand, however the women featured are on the phone and delivering messages. This highlights the sexual inequality of that time, and the fact that while women had a part in the world, it was only limited to certain types of non-combat work.