Pex: Pin Pin Nylons

From the collection of

MACE is the strategic lead organisation for screen heritage for the East and West Midlands regions. An independent charity based at University of Lincoln, MACE preserves and makes accessible a collection of more than 100,000 historic moving images representative of the diverse cultures and histories of communities throughout the heart of England from the Lincolnshire coast to the Welsh border.

Pex: Pin Pin Nylons

Media Archive for Central England
Leicester
1965-01-01
Sound

Sheerness in never ladder nylons: the proud boast of Pex's Pin Pin nylons.

"Legs on ladders but no ladders on these legs". We can only imagine how the advertising team felt when they came up with the idea of posing women next to a step-ladder to promote Pex nylon stockings - probably pretty happy with their day's work. Although the concept is unlikely to trouble Mad Men's Don Draper its objectification of the female form is very much of its time. And if this strategy doesn't work there's always the attractive price: only 9/11 a packet!

The Leicester firm Pex was founded in 1914. Their main factory in the city, known as West Bridge Mills, was severely damaged by a fire in 1979. Twenty years later, in 1999, the firm went into administration. The use of the name has continued following a 2004 management buy-out with the new firm setting up at Whetstone in Leicestershire.

What Women Want?

Caring mums, hard-working housewives or independent, fun-loving 'new women' - the female consumer has long been a target of screen advertising.

In the cause of selling anything from baked beans to washing powders to all manner of labour-saving devices, advertisers have promised to make women's lives easier and to help them build happy homes and successful relationships.

There's no getting past the fact that women have all-too often been patronised and objectified by a male-dominated advertising industry. But screen advertising also tells (and sells) a more positive story of social progress for women, with increasing social and economic independence. This collection tracks the ups and downs of female empowerment in the 20th century, with its false steps as revealing as its forward ones.