Monday, June 13, 2022

1950’s MAGIC POTION.........JERGENS’ LOTION

 


In 1950 the Jergens Co. chose neighbors of my grandparents in Brattleboro, Vt. to be the poster family for one of their magazine advertising series. It was entitled “Four Youngsters to Feed, Daily Housework & Chores on her Vermont Farm”, and depicted the faithful and ever dutiful-wife Bertha, husband Herman and four children.
I don’t have the pictures but I do have the script and it is incredible to see how we were back then. 
To illustrate:
Ad #1. (Bertha gazing dreamily into camera). “My secret for pleasing Herman is always to be cheerful and prettied-up when the day is done. I take a shower, put on an attractive dress, fresh makeup and, of course, Jergens lotion in case we might hold hands across the table.
Ad #2. (Bertha with daughter) “Mary and I love to wax & polish and it doesn’t bother my hands at all because Jergens lotion keeps them so smooth & soft. Herman says they look as if I were a lady of leisure”.
Ad #3. (Berth washing dishes) “Those hungry wolves of mine make every meal a production, but I don’t mind the dishes. Jergens lotion gives my hands a ‘never put them in water’ look. I keep a bottle in the kitchen”.
Ad #4. (Whole family seated for dinner. Bertha & Herman holding hands across the table and gazing into each other’s eyes.) Herman beams at Bertha and gives her Jergens-soft hand an extra squeeze that seems to say, “We’re just about the happiest couple in the world, aren’t we?”
The 1950’s…….a wondrous time…when a bottle of Jergens’ lotion, and lots of hard work and blind devotion on the wife’s part, could solve all our problems ! And guess what? I bought into it…lock, stock & LOTION.

8 Comments:

Blogger Joared said...

Good for you if you were successful living the life portrayed in those commercials.
My Mom used Jergens' lotion so I did, too, but can't say that fantasy land portrayed as typical of the '50s was one I saw as very prevalent amongst those I knew or me. I saw that representation as what some people wanted their life to be after WWII but it was not like that. However, in the years since and now that's often how they portray life of those who lived in the '50s which annoys me. I don't think most people's lives were like that though some may have tried. There's much said to represent the '50s that I find not to be truly representative at all such as all girls wearing poodle skirts. I never saw any girls wearing them, and didn't even talk about them, so am inclined to think it was only true of a certain segment or maybe part of the country.

9:16 PM  
Blogger Arkansas Patti said...

Ahh if it were only that simple.
That had to have been fun to do the commercials if unrealistic. Wonder if they tried to live up to the dialogue.

6:45 AM  
Blogger Marie Smith said...

It was a different world back then. Imagine those commercials on tv these days…

9:42 AM  
Blogger Linda P. said...

The NY Times, I believe, recently featured an editorial that reasoned that we needed to clear some of the oldest of our Boomers out of government. The reasoning, by another Boomer, was that we're always trying to recreate a 1950's-style U.S. that never really was.

3:16 PM  
Blogger Anvilcloud said...

They were jerky times by today’s standards, but they were no doubt better than earlier times.

5:43 PM  
Blogger Rajani Rehana said...

Great blog

5:11 AM  
Blogger Rajani Rehana said...

Please read my post

5:11 AM  
Blogger Joared said...

Sorry I took what you wrote so seriously. We did use Jergens' lotion, though.

9:17 AM  

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