See other o.b. ads: French
(ooo.ooo.b., 1989) - German (early
1950s) - German
(1970s) - German
nude (1970s) - French
(1989) - German
("Egyptian," 1970s)
See a Modess True
or False? ad in The American Girl
magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley in
"How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad
(1955) - Modess . . .
. because ads (many dates).
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Daring German o.b. menstrual tampon
magazine ads
for teenage girls
Werbung in deutsche Zeitschriften für
Tampons
These two German ads for o.b.
tampon appeared when the German
company Dr.
Carl Hahn GmbH still
owned o.b., before the American
firm Johnson & Johnson took
over (1974). The upper ad is from
a German women's magazine, the
lower from a magazine for
teenagers.
Both
indicate the era: the sexual
revolution was underway, and the
place: Germany, which is more
tolerant of nudity than America.
The lower ad advertises a kit for girls
about to have their menarche -
their first period - and contains
a booklet
of full-frontal nude photographs,
among other photos, of pubescent
boys and girls, taken by David
Hamilton, one of whose books was
recently (1998) the subject of a
court action against the Barnes
& Noble bookstore in the
U.S.A. That book also shows nude
girls, probably under 18 years
old, a subject usually prohibited
in America.
For some ads at the other end of
the nudity and "decorum" spectrum,
see the Modess,
because . . . advertisements
of the 1940s through the 1960s in
the U.S.A.
The letters o.b., by
the way, stand for ohne Binde
[here's proof!], which
mean without
a menstrual pad, in
German. The abbreviation itself
indicates the size of the product,
an effect undoubtedly the company
intends.
See other o.b. ads: French
(ooo.ooo.b., 1989) - German
(early 1950s) - German
(1970s) - German
nude (1970s) - French
(1989) - German
("Egyptian," 1970s)
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Translations of
the ad text sit beneath the ads.
Below:
From a German women's magazine,
1978
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My
translation of the text:
o.b. is the right tampon for
the nights of your days [days -
Tage - can mean and does mean
here menstrual period. Clever
writing.]
When your nightgown shouldn't
show that you're menstruating we
recommend o.b. Then you can be
completely certain that no one
sees anything when you go to
bed. And nothing happens when
you get up the next morning. An
o.b. tampon absorbs the blood
right from the interior of your
vagina. The strongly absorbent
material takes care that not one
drop of blood backs up.because
an o.b. tampon works like a
sponge. And that doesn't dam
blood up but absorbs everything
into it.
So the blood can't pool over
night in the vagina and then
suddenly flow out when get up
with your usual verve. An o.b.
tampon completely suffices to
absorb everything. And if you
want to be completely certain
use the next bigger size of o.b.
o.b.
Natural and secure.
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Below:
From a German magazine for teens,
1981. See part of the booklet
this ad advertises.
The
translation lies below the ad.
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My
translation of the text:
What's the name of the
menstrual protection that
doesn't leave young girls alone
with their questions?
Naturally o.b.
Girls in puberty have a lot of
questions.
But sometimes they don't trust
themselves to ask because they
don't know where to begin.
Because they've never talked
about it. Their girlfriend
doesn't know either. And Mom
can't find the right words to
answer with. Therefore we have
for all girls an o.b. kit. It
contains the o.b. booklet
"Menstruation." It explains the
differences between boys and
girls. What menstruation is and
how it works. The signs that
indicate that one is about to
start her period. Why one feels
often different than usual. And
why even virgins can use
tampons. Millions of girls have
read this booklet. It's helped
them to adjust better. If you'd
like to have this booklet, write
us. We'll send it to you
together with o.b. mini and
normal tampons so you can get
acquainted.
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© 2007 Harry Finley. It is illegal to
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