Actually, I suppose you could say, "First comes lust..." Did you check out the expression on the girl's face in the ad above? That ain't the look of love, baby!
Nonetheless, it quickly becomes clear who Pepsi was specifically targeting with its long-running "Sociables" series: women. Earlier in the 50's the series focused on gorgeous young couples caught at that moment the spark of romance is ignited. All emphasis was on the woman... the man was clearly subordinate in purpose, often not appearing at all.
Nothing confirms Pepsi's strategy so much as its return, time and again, to the theme of weddings.
Don't get me wrong, ladies, many of us guys are only too happy to be married to the love of our lives -- but when it comes to advertising themes we're more likely to identify with Pall Mall's marlin fishing ads or Schlitz's barbeque visuals!
So where was Coke while Pepsi was defining the lifestyle of a generation?
We'll find out tomorrow.
All of these images have been added to my Pepsi Flickr set.
LOL. This is great!
ReplyDelete