A Dream of Brave Men

1920
Silent
2m

A humble kitchen maid dreams of war heroism in this fantastical ad for Pinkobolic disinfectant.

After a bout of vigorous cleaning, a maid falls asleep and dreams of saving lives at a WWI hospital in this early cinema ad. Flying in a crate of Pinkobolic disinfectant, she's determined to wipe out those front-line germs. Narratives of women's role in the war effort would step up a gear during WWII, as screen advertising became ever more sophisticated.

An advert for Pinkabolic disinfectant

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.