Avon calling.
Fun facts: The first Avon Representative was Mrs. P.F.E. Albee in 1886.
There were one million Avon Representatives by 1978.
On a personal note, there are two perfumes that have seduced me at pivotal moments in my life. Avon’s Odyssey is one of them.
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This ad has a pretty utilitarian headline in the innovation/differentiation/unique-selling-proposition/how-will-it-improve-your-life vein, but once you get into the body copy, it’s a golden-age masterpiece of copywriting.
Fun fact: The snooze alarm was invented in 1956.
While we’re at it, here’s a 2,000-year history of alarm clocks thanks to Atlas Obscura.
Hey babe, are you into horology?
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Don’t you hate it when you buy a full-page ad with minimal copy and lots of glorious white space and you forget to proofread the headline?
Fun fact: This record was originally pressed in gold vinyl.
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Something for the auto buffs: Why Packard Died
Want a Packard of your very own? Looks like a 1929 Packard 645 Deluxe Eight goes for an average of $212,926 these days. What a bargain!
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A little Cheez Whiz in that sammich, and she’d be marryin’ material.
Fun facts: Wonder Bread’s name was inspired by hot air balloons.
No money was exchanged for Wonder Bread’s prominent brand use in Sony Picture’s Talladega Nights.
Horseradish is neither a radish nor a horse.
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Fun fact: The earliest known cigar is from an image on a 10th century Mayan pot. So if cavemen smoked cigars, they probably used their caves as humidors, but this is purely speculation on my part.
Another fun fact: It’s also highly unlikely cavemen ever used clubs.
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Trivia: A skilled male cigar roller is called a torcedor.
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Trivia: “Close, but no cigar.” Its origin comes from being screwed over by a carnie. As for “Give that man a cigar,” same place but with a happy ending.
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Wife: “Honey? Do we have any blindfolds?”
Hubs: “I don’t think so, except for the special one. Will that work?”
Wife: “Yes. Would you be a dear and fetch it for me?”
Hubs: [from bedroom] “What about the handcuffs?”
Wife: “Maybe later.”
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Strange story, this Lucretia Vanderbilt.
It’s got everything!
Astrology!
Italian cheeses!
Alter egos!
Guitars!
Human hair fraud!
Bootleg liquor!
Pre-arrest suicide!
Belgian war heroes!
And butterflies!
Stefon would be jealous.
Check out the history of Lucretia Vanderbilt here, along with its rather wonderful first paragraph that sets the tone beautifully.
In Alan Jenkins’ very readable ‘The Twenties’, his second chapter is titled ‘Let’s Do It!’. “Do what?” he asked, well… “Practically anything you can get away with. Dance. Make love. Sing. Laugh. Make money. Lose money. Drink. Fly. Smash something.”, he wrote.