“So the harder a wife works, the cuter she looks!” – Kellogg’s Pep
This is one of the most chauvinist ads that we have ever come across. Instead of promoting the vitamin-enriched cereal that keeps the woman happy and vibrant after a long busy day at home while her husband looks exhausted when he arrives from his nine-to-five job, the ad highlights that the woman looks so good only because she is taking care of the household work.
This ad is from 1932 and we have to wonder what Kellogg’s was thinking back then. Complete with an apron, a feather duster, and a big smile on her face, the ad boosts the idea that women are happiest when they’re dusting, sweeping, preparing meals, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, and caring for the children. And they’re happy to do all these while wearing high-heeled pumps.
The ad suggests that a bowl of whole-wheat breakfast cereal in the morning is the only thing required to turn your wife into a happy and cheerful cleaning machine that will take care of the house while the husband tires himself out just by working a few hours in the office.