Advertising to older people in 1950

As a graphic designer, and occasionally as an illustrator, I know the importance of marketing to the, uh, mature audience. That is, what young people would call old-timers, but if advertisers said that, they would lose sales. Still, it's important to communicate as clearly as possible, while still dancing around the concept.

This ad, from the Duke "Ad Access" site, caught my eye, especially the illustration, as I tried to figure out what they were trying to show there. To put it bluntly, how old is she supposed to be? I'll tell you what I see, and you can comment (but please be kind!).

Speaking for myself, my hair started to grey in my early forties, and by my fifties it had gone to salt-and-pepper. Nowadays, in my sixties, it's all grey. This is a transition that I knew nothing about in my younger days, and whenever I needed to draw someone who was, uh, "of age", I simply gave them grey hair. I did nothing to the face, no bags under the eyes, no jowls, none of that, just grey hair. So I think that's what the illustrator was doing here. The face could be in her twenties, but the hair color seems to hint that she is no longer brunette, or blonde. Of course, you could argue that she just has light brown hair, but in the context of the ad I'm inclined to think grey.

She's holding what looks to me to be opera glasses, which makes me wonder if the original illustration had her holding, or even wearing, reading glasses? As common as that is for people over forty, you rarely see it in advertising. In fact, now that I'm over forty (well over!) I'm starting to notice when an actor holds something to read, and based on their age I figure that they must have it memorized.

My dad taught me that you should never, ever ask a woman's age, so don't worry, I won't. Most young women look about twelve to me now, and every once in a while I wonder at what point women start worrying about getting old? Most men like me really don't - we just have another beer and move on.

Another thing that this ad got me thinking about is that if the woman in the drawing is forty, she would have been born in 1910. If she's fifty, in 1900, and if she's sixty, in 1890. And there's no doubt that in her generation, and all of them afterwards right up to today, women tend to look younger than their parents, and grandparents at the same age. I suppose it has to do with cosmetics, and skin lotions, and sunscreen, and just being more careful about caring for your skin.

Hang on, I'll go Google "Charles of the Ritz" to see if it's still around. Hmmm, according to Wikipedia they were around until 2002. I suppose women have found other ways to stay young-looking. They look young to me!

---

If you like pictures of old-time Phoenix, please become a member of History Adventuring on Patreon. I share a LOT of cool old photos there, copyright-free, with no advertising. Your support makes it happen! Thank you!

Click here to become a Patron!