Why beautiful women are used so much in advertising


If you've ever wondered why beautiful women, or pretty girls, are used so much in advertising, even when there really isn't any kind of connection (although there is with this ad for Sea Nymph bathing suits in 1951) it really comes down to what most people like to look at, and that's women.

I'm not exactly at what age I discovered this, but when you look at magazines for women you see women. When you see magazines for men you see women. Everyone loves to look at women, the only exception being (this is an old joke) blind people.

Speaking for myself, I like women. I like to look at them, I like to be around them. And yes I mean that in a romantic way, but I've also preferred my doctors to be women, my bosses to be women. Heck, even my dogs are female!


In this image from the Duke University site, I'd imagine that this drawing of a bathing beauty got a lot of attention. I'm inclined to think that if I were a teenager walking along the boardwalk there in Atlantic City, in 1951 I'd be so fascinated by this billboard that I'd run into people. Hopefully a pretty girl!

The style of the drawing, by the way, is very inspired by the "pinup" girls of World War II, who were often painted on airplanes. The artist Alberto Vargas created what was later known as the "Varga Girl", which you could see in men's magazines and calendars through the 1970s. You can Google him, but be careful, it may not be safe for work. 

By the way, if you're curious as to what a "nymph" is, here ya go, I just copied this from Wikipedia: A nymph in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are typically tied to a specific place or landform, and are usually depicted as beautiful maidens.


And while I'm certainly no expert on women's swimwear, it looks to me as if she could actually swim in this outfit, not just lounge around.

Image from the Duke University Library Digital Collections.
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