15 April 2016

Retro Beauty - Men's Edition

The other day, The Tim and I were talking about how both of our fathers used this aftershave.


And we got to thinking of other men's products from our childhood and teen years and the ads for them.  I remember Vitalis commercials on TV from when I was a little girl, and this print ad cracks me up.


I mean, do those girls think he's a hunk of burning love, or what?

The Tim dredged up the memory of Hai Karate!


My sisters were teenagers when this was out, and they kept trying to talk my father into wearing it because it was "so cool."  I think they even bought it for him for a birthday, or Father's Day or something.  He probably wore it because he hated to waste anything, but I don't recall my mother or any other woman ever falling into his arms ...

I remember these ads:


This was long before Brooke Shields ever told us that nothing came between her and her Calvins, and I can recall people thinking this was so borderline SCANDALOUS!  My middle sister said this was what she wanted her husband to smell like.

As I recall, this was the more reasonably priced aftershave that a lot of people bought:


Of course, the name is also quite manly, so you couldn't go wrong.

Finally, I remember my oldest sister thinking this stuff was the end all and be all, and saying that she would only marry someone if he wore this forever.


It was considered quite modern.  Especially since you didn't pronounce the name like you would a canoe, meaning a small water vessel that you row.  Nope, this was - according to my sister, knower of all things fashionable - pronounced "Cah-know-ay."  So of course it had to be amazing, right?

I wonder what the Vitalis guy would think?

3 comments:

Vera said...

One again Bridget you have me laughing out loud. The ads are just too, too funny. Don't forget Jade East!!

Anonymous said...

My husband was a Cah-how-ay man. Guess that's why we stayed married for so long. That stuff WORKS!!!!

elns said...

The pronunciation/spelling of Canoe is just marvelous. Such a great post Bridget! I swear that is a sketch of Sean Connery for Vitalis right? ;) Good times!