The world is a different place from it was 100 years ago, and so is its advertising. Racist and other insensitive ads that were the accepted norm throughout the 20th century slowly gave way to an understanding that the likes of the Mazola Indian Princess, Chun King’s caricature Asian mascot, Lane Bryant’s “Calling all Chubbies” campaign, and, of course, ANY product that hearkened back to slavery (or worse, contained the “N-word” in it – and there were some) were inappropriate and needed to be changed.
The sexualization of women
The type of advertising the general public saw the most, especially once we hit the 1950s and 60s, and even into the 70s, was the sexualization of women. This was certainly true in the airline industry, where flight attendants (then called “stewardesses”) of the time had all sorts of rules in regard to looks and personal life. Here were the rules for United, for example, in 1968:
United Airlines Stewardess Qualifications (1968)
- Females only
- Age: 21-27
- Height: 5’2”- 5’9”
- Weight: Proportionate to height but no more than 135 lbs.
- Education: High School graduate
- Vision: 20/40 or better without glasses
- Work Experience: 3 years public contact experience
- Must be unmarried. No children. (Widow or Divorcee will be considered but must not have any children.)
- Must be attractive, have no blemishes, have a pleasant personality, hair neatly groomed (must be natural, no colored hair) and must be no longer than shoulder length.
And here was a radio ad that was aired in 1969, for PSA Airlines:
Right now PSA, the airline that is famous for its stewardesses, is looking for girls. Yes..girls to fill a cute orange mini-uniform…girls who smile and mean it…girls who give other people a lift. Now if you’re single, 18 1/2 to 26 years old, 5 foot 1 to 5 foot 9, 105 to 135 pounds, have a high school diploma or better–come in for an interview at the Los Angeles International Airport stewardesses department Tuesday or Thursday. PSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
At the time, looks were obviously an important aspect of being a stewardess, and airlines took advantage of that in their advertising. Here were some of the more cringeworthy ads of the time from a variety of airlines.
The ads that didn’t stand the test of time
Note: These ads were, of course, a sign of the times. The sexualization of females was considered the norm back then and really wasn’t frowned upon [well, not much]. However, looking at them now, we realize how inappropriate they are by today’s standards. That’s why you don’t see ads like this anymore.
Air Jamaica
“Make life a holiday,” with a man groping a woman’s upper inner thigh
No idea what the ad says, but yes, let’s get her pelvis as close to the guy’s shoulder as possible
What man wouldn’t look forward to a wild night with Angelique?
“It’s no floor show. But it’s funny how you get to feel like a leading man. Delta is ready when you are!”
Yeah baby, we’ve got your sunshine right here…
Hooters Air
Hooters Air is the outlier in this group, in that it commenced operations in 2003 (and ceased in 2006). But even in this commercial, from 2004, they didn’t focus on the “Hooters Girls” very much. Times were changing.
Iberia
This little blonde from Barcelona will romance you all around the world
She is our pride. And your joy.
National Airlines
National’s “Fly Me” campaign in the early 1970s was so cringey that even then, people were giving the sexual innuendos the side eye (Pan Am bought National Airlines in 1980).
Pan Am
I don’t speak German. But nice upshot of her in her minidress.
PSA gives you a lift! Just what kind of “lift” are we talking about here?
(To their credit, Southwest has been using the “love” spin for years. But nowadays they spell it “luv” and don’t sexualize it)
There’s never been more love in the air! …when you’re in love, the sky’s the limit. Loving you is what we do
What about today?
Although the likes of Hooters Air came and went, you generally don’t see airlines flaunting their flight attendants for their sexuality anymore. It’s a good thing.
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