Interpretations of Marketing Strategies: The Evolution of Advertising
Sego Diet Drink
From what I gather, Sego was a diet drink that was popular in the 1960’s. I’ve recently come across some of their ads, and being incredibly intrigued by the visual rhetoric of it all, I knew I just had to share some of these ads with all of you:
http://graphic-design.tjs-labs.com/thumbs/sego-time-10-04-1963-030-thumb.jpg
Seriously? Seriously?! As with most advertisements like this, I don’t know whether to laugh or be morally outraged. In the text next to the image, it says, “Wouldn’t you like to look 10 lbs younger? Try SEGO… for success!” The assumption here is that when you’re thinner, you look younger (an apparently incorrect assumption, as we all learned at The Great Fitness Experiment– Charlotte discovered studies that suggest the thinner we are, the older we look!). And then we’ve also got the notion that women aren’t successful unless they are “beautiful” (again, a shout-out to one of Charlotte’s posts in which we discussed this same issue)- taking into account whatever your definition of “beauty” is.
And this is very clearly directed towards women (specifically the heterosexual middle class). After all, we’ve got to please T/the Man in our life, both corporate figures and the spouses! And clearly they will not be pleased unless we’re as thin as we were on the honeymoon. Assuming we had these teensy little waists at that point.
http://gono.com/museum2003/museum%20collect%20info/sego/s1.jpg
And don’t forget that swimsuit season is almost upon us, ladies. Is there any better way to scream “YOU’RE INADEQUATE!” than on a nice big advertisement while chucking diet drinks at us?
http://gono.com/museum2003/museum%20collect%20info/sego/s7.jpg
…and now we get to the point where we’re blaming those spouses that we’re trying so hard for. But I think he might actually be saying “eat some real food already! You can even scrape off this excessive amount of whipped cream if you don’t want to eat that as well. Can’t have you passing out from not getting enough sustenance!”, rather than “mmm, rich chocolaty cake heaped with cream, eat it because I’m evil and trying to sabotage your efforts to get healthy”, like the advertisement suggests.
None of these advertisements are current. I don’t know what the reaction was to them at the time that they were circulating, but I imagine that the first one at least would raise a few eyebrows if it came out today. At the same time, are they really so different from the ads that we see today? Are they any more blatant than the blazing headlines (“Eat this, lose weight!”; “So long cellulite!”) on any popular magazine? We’re not talking about just women’s magazines, either- “Scrawny to Brawny in Just 8 Weeks!” was on the cover of one Men’s Health mag. I can’t comment on what men’s magazines were like in the 1960’s because I don’t know, but maybe that is all that has changed: there’s not just pressure on women to conform to a specific “look” anymore, because now men are being pressured as well to fit a certain image in today’s society.
What are your thoughts on all of this? Have you heard of Sego or seen similar ads? Do you think much has changed over the years with the relationship between advertising and the way our bodies and body image are portrayed?
100 Burpees
It is fitness challenge time again for this chica! Specifically, the 100 Burpees Challenge, which I found out about through Cranky Fitness. The idea of this challenge is to do one burpee on Day One, two burpees on Day Two, and so on until you’ve been doing it for 100 days. Luckily, you can do the burpees throughout the day and they do not have to be completed all in a row. 100 consecutive push ups were difficult enough; I don’t think I could do that for burpees!
So what exactly is a burpee? We used to do them all the time in boot camp. They are killer: from a standing position, jump into the air, squat down on the ground and hop your feet back into a push up position, do a push up, hop back into the squatting position on the ground, and then jump up again. That’s one burpee. Exhausting? Brutal? Yes and yes. They also happen to be one of the best exercises for a total body workout.
I started this challenge on Monday. Here’s to Day Three of the Burpee Challenge! Anyone else feel like joining in? Remember, we ease our way into it with just one extra each time. It’s doable. It’s a challenge. You know you want in 😉
Right now, I’m working on doing two consecutive pull-ups! Ha! WHen you say it outloud its a little deflating, but I’m still going at it none-the-less. Adding in burpees would just kill my mojo 🙂
Ad’s are totally outrageous–and I mean all of them, where’s the morality amongst advertisers gone? and what about when little girls read these things?
ARGH!
Very interesting to see how advertising (and its goals/target audiences) have shifted over time.
OH MY. This reminds me of an excerpt from a 1950’s textbook that someone forwarded me last year…something about “tips for housewives.” It was full of rules like “Have a refreshing drink ready for your husband after his long, exhausting day at the office.” lol. I’m SO GLAD things have changed for the better!
Burpees sound intense! I want to try them. I’m not sure if it would aggravate my hip or not, but it sounds fun! Plus, who wouldn’t want to say the word “burpees”?
You know, if you just slapped a Special K logo on those cans and updated the pics a bit, you’d have a modern ad campaign! Funny how little has changed.
And I gotta say – I hate burpees. I’d be hard pressed to find a exercise I hate more. But, sigh, you’re right – they are so good for you!
I’m going to use burpees as “oh, I didn’t go to the gym”. Meaning that if I don’t work out, it’s burpee time.
The ads made me giggle. Although if you wanted to “modernize” the ads, you’d need to photoshop the women to toothpick size. And make their boobs bigger.
Oh. my. god. These ads are ridiculous, and yet they really haven’t changed so much from those of today, I think the advertisers just got a little more clever with the subliminal message…
I can’t read most advertising for this very reason.
I probably won’t make it to 100 on the burpees, but I like the tippy-toe-ness of this plan. I’ll play along until my body gives out. 🙂
I was kinda hoping to see the first ad updated with a same sex couple. That would be progress 🙁
Wow, I actually didn’t think that marketing for skinny figures was as vigorous. I think today it is no different, well, maybe more ads bombarding people…
Rupal- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound deflating!! I gotta try doing pull ups again… those things are HARD as hell.
VeggieGirl & Sharon- it gets very interesting when we start comparing the ads and realize that our response to the media hasn’t changed all that much.
Holly- it IS a great word 😀
Charlotte- ha, you’re so right about the Special K. Their Santa Claus ad just about killed me. And I hate burpees too, to be honest. Hehe.
Tricia- great idea for the burpees. We’d have to photoshop in some extra bones to modernize the ads, too.
Danielle- yeah, not QUITE so blatant anymore. Usually.
Cammy- good plan! Heart your tiptoeing.
Dr. J- wouldn’t it just!
Wow, that is so interesting and annoying to see these ads! So many fad diets. They’re never out of style… unfortunately. Hopefully we can make a change in that =)
My memory of Sego from the sixties: when one of my friends missed six weeks of high school with mono, her doctor told her to drink one between meals. It was something she could slurp down between classes without disrupting her school day, and she needed the extra protein and calories to keep going. Weeks of no appetite had beaten weeks of no activity, and she needed to gain weight.
I love that you’re doing the burpee challenge! I’m glad to see my demotivational post failed and I accidentally motivated someone!
And I love seeing old ads and how unsubtle they were. But I have to agree that the message is still being pounded into our heads every day: be skinny or no one will love you. They’re just more indirect about how they do it.
Burpees. Excellent. I’ve been incorporating burpees into my workouts. Didn’t know there was a “challenge” on. I’ve only been doing 3x of 10, and that winds me. But I’m up for the challenge. 100 or bust!
I’ve never heard of a burpee but it sounds interesting and hard. I’ll give it a try 🙂
I’m always intrigued by old advertisements. I love going through old magazines at my Grammie’s to look at them. These diet drinks sound like a total scam 😛
Now days we have airbrushed photos and Photo Shop! All silly IMOP. The false expectation that it puts on our society can lead to much dysfunction! Keep it real I say! 100 burpees? I love it! 🙂
HelloVeggie- it’s up to us to make the changes!
Mary Anne- hmm interesting take on it. I’d love to know what the ingredients are in Sego but so far I’ve been unsuccessful in my search.
Crabby- yeah, jeez, way to go! 🙂
Monica- awesome, glad you’re on board! 3x of 10 is pretty darn good too.
Maggie- excellent. Must admit that I have tons of fun looking at ads.
Mark- Keep it real for sure 😀
I’ve never heard of Sego. How funny (but not funny ha-ha) that they had diet drinks even back then.
I’m telling my husband about the 100 burpees challenge. He’s on a burpees kick right now.
(Im BURPEE in!!)
and am among those whod never heard of Sego before. sad sad how we have always been this way…is that indicative of the fact we may never change?
This was a really great entry! Do you mind if I link it? 🙂
Also, hate burpees. But we call them squat thrusts, the burpee name just seems weird. LOL
Can you imagine Weight Watchers or Slim Fast doing similar commercials? It would not be a pretty sight.
Ah, the ad with the chocolate cake is EXACTLY what happens at home 🙂 He isn’t sabotaging though, he just wants to share….but not really! I probably should be shocked (which I am by the fact that they had diet drinks in the 50’s) but really, they (whoever you choose that to be, cause you can hardly blame men) have been peddling an ‘ideal’ for female beauty probably since the cavemen days and at least for the last 500 years. Maybe the best way to deal with it is to actually ignore it?
Today’s ads have the same message, just a little more subliminal at times.
Cathy- so funny that he’s on a burpees kick. Bet he’ll love the challenge.
MizFit- oh jeez that’s one way to look at it… I HOPE we’re capable of change!
Andrea- I’d be honored if you linked to it 🙂
Crystal- ahaha oh that would cause a lot of controversy!
Spring Girl- Yes, I suppose ignoring it is the only thing to do. But we should be able to change it! And agreed, I’m not blaming men at all.
James- “at times”, yeah. Sometimes they can still be pretty blatant!
Burpees are killer, but I love them. 🙂 In my circuit class our instructor had us do them with a bosu and then when we stood up and jumped we had to pick up the bosu and do a shoulder press as well.
If was really fun to look at those ads by the way. 🙂
I swear I just saw those ads in women’s health magazine on the doctors office last week?? I must be crazy.
Just want to give a heads up on the burpee’s. I REALLY like the idea of the challenge. I can’t personally do burpee’s because they hurt my back due to a previous (healed) injury. I can back squat 200 lbs but five burpees knocks me out of the game for at least a few days.
I’d recommend anyone with a bad back NOT participate in this or at least take it very slow.
Good luck to everyone else! 🙂
Hi Sagan,
Sego? I haven’t heard of it, although it’s probably similar to other products out there today (I try to avoid alot of this stuff – so maybe I’m out of touch).
The burpees – I’ve been avoiding them too! (this one I’ll join in on though – it sounds painfully fun!)
These ads crack me up, especially the first one…. wowser.
Not much has changed, but maybe that’s our fault. if we didn’t respond there wouldn’t be much power in this style of marketing. I believe it really is in our hands.
ahaha i love insulting advertizsing. makes me wanna buy stuff
Never heard of Sego, but this reminds me of the wonderful television show, “Mad Men.” It reeks of how bizarre the world was back in the day, and even though things still could get lots better, they are so much better than then.
peace,
mike
livelife365
Advertising is one of the best medias, anyway some drawbacks also.
Juliet- LOVE the incorporation of the bosu!
Rayna- thanks for the caution. Definitely important to keep ourselves free of injury.
Lance- “painfully fun”, such a good way to describe it 🙂
Berni- yes. We need to work on that mental health of ours.
Kelly- shopping trip? 😉
Mike- we’re in constant continual progress!
Maria- but highly effective.
wow- such a fantastic post! seriously- i don’t even know what to say because you said it all so well!
So that’s what they’re called? One of my body sculpt teachers makes us do them, and I’ll say that exercises that use full body weight are tougher for heavy people, and I can’t do more than about 4 in a row before I have to stop. Also noted that if not for this, I would never attempt a straight leg (not on knees) push up, so I guess it’s good for me.
Those ads are pathetic. I also think the ads today are just as bad if not worse, but the women today are airbrushed, sluttier, and the message hidden better.
This is fascinating! Isn’t it interesting that with all the developments and changes in the world, advertising hasn’t changed all that much. 🙁
i need to try me a burpee 🙂
Wow, just wow over those adds!
Burpees are great! I’m not able to do the whole jumping thing, but even stepping out and then back in gets the heart rate going! 100 in one day. Wow that’s a LOT!