In the early 20th century, product advertising was rife with suggestive content. After all, it's been known for decades that sex sells. Lots of companies had those kinds of ads, even the good ol' Ivory Soap company. These ads were different though--they were male bodies, and lots of them. It was all about the camaraderie within the armed forces. This was wartime, and it was a time when the whole country rallied behind the fighting men of the military. Who was the target audience though? Men? Women? G.I.'s?
Not to be outdone, the folks at Cannon Towel company probably took a look at those ads and said, "Hey, look at those guys--they don't even look happy! Let's take our product advertising a level further!" They definitely added some fun, but maybe a bit too much fun? Don't you get the impression that, instead of towels, they're selling fun? When is the last time you saw anyone's butt crack in an advertisement? Coppertone?
I guess they were doing their best to lighten the mood of war.
This one is even more odd because it features natives standing there with blank looks on their faces, wondering what kind of root these guys have been mashing and smoking. It looks comical enough to have sprung from the pages of MAD Magazine...
Ditto, this one... "Hurry up guys, it's almost time for the show!" Check out the guy in the background, probably keeping any eye out for officers.
For the folks fighting in the colder north, they include an ad for them, too. They carried the towel fun indoors. This one almost looks anti-nudist, doesn't it? "Put yer damn clothes on, and do it now!" This one is apparently describing how hard it is to bathe in the northern climates...
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