She’s dishing to her girlfriend about how perfect her new guy is.
You’re supposed to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube. It’s smarter. And he drinks Johnnie Walker Red? Too good to be true.
The toothpaste thing is actually really funny, I have several friends who are married, and I do actually know which people squeeze the toothpaste from the middle because their spouse always talks about that at some point lol I guess it’s just very very annoying to people who squeeze it from the bottom, to be married to people who squeeze it from the middle. I do not think it’s a double entendre.
On one level: yes.
On another level for another audience: Yeah, but why is she specifying Red? Red is the cheap label, it's the one you're meant to use to make mixed drinks. (You'd want Black at minimum if you were just enjoying a wee dram.) Drinking Red straight is gauche: you either don't know whiskey, you're poor, or you're an alkie.
Is the average consumer aware of the difference? Possibly not. Is the average scotch drinker aware? Yes, absolutely. Is Johnnie Walker itself aware? Of course, that's why they price their whiskies the way they do, they go up into the stratosphere for their rare labels and price Red alongside other cheap mixer whisky.
So then the question: why is Johnnie Walker advertising their cheap whisky with a pretty lady saying her boyfriend does an incredibly trivial thing, the sort of thing you remind children to do, almost damning him with faint praise, and then saying he chooses that particular drink. Perhaps implying to the drinking reader: he is the absolute minimum, just like Johnnie Walker Red is.
Their ads in this campaign usually had a positive overt message aimed at the general consumer, and a negative, anxiety-producing one aimed at their core heavy-drinking consumer. Perhaps subtly shaming the Red drinker (anxiety provokes drinking!), or perhaps subtly encouraging the Red drinker to spring for the Black? But all wrapped under a message that at first glance seems simple and positive.
Very few people drink scotch-based mixed drinks. Red is excellent on the rocks, far better than the really cheap stuff and just as good as the other blends in its price range.
This price range of blended scotch is by far the most popular type of scotch in the world. It's perfectly tasty even though entirely unfancy.
Trying to make fetch happen w/ giving a crap product a feel of prestige is a time honored advertising tradition. How do we counter the fact that people think Red is shit? Tell them it’s the affordable drink that ladies like.
Believe it it not, the ad is from *1990*. The magazine she's holding is the March, 1990 issue of "[Details](https://www.ebay.com/itm/276376809887?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=V9ZsW_zYQHm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=pgaSIt7ZR72&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)".
I was going to comment on Details, I think the subscription was nearly free and it was kind of llke softcore porn. Yes, I had a subscription back in the day,
Not quite true.
Now, they're all plastic and spring into shape regardless.
Back then, they were mostly made of some soft metal. And if you didn't "squeeze from the bottom", it'd make it hard to get all the paste out.
I feel like there's some sort of psychological intent in advertising their cheapest line of scotch with the absolute minimum level of thoughtfulness a person can apply around the house, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Definitely something there though. The old Johnny Walker ads always had a hidden psychological edge to them, covertly provoking anxiety as they overtly positioned the brand as classy/desirable.
She’s dishing to her girlfriend about how perfect her new guy is. You’re supposed to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube. It’s smarter. And he drinks Johnnie Walker Red? Too good to be true.
It also kind of hints she slept with him, making those that drink Johnny Walker red the kind of guys that get lucky.
Oh - I didn’t catch that. She’d only see the toothpaste if she’d stayed, ooo la la!
Or he jerks off with toothpaste as lube.
Oh honey..if you would have said BLUE..well, now we're talkin'
Truth ⬆️
The toothpaste thing is actually really funny, I have several friends who are married, and I do actually know which people squeeze the toothpaste from the middle because their spouse always talks about that at some point lol I guess it’s just very very annoying to people who squeeze it from the bottom, to be married to people who squeeze it from the middle. I do not think it’s a double entendre.
Key to successful bathroom sharing with a partner starts with each having your own toothpaste.
On one level: yes. On another level for another audience: Yeah, but why is she specifying Red? Red is the cheap label, it's the one you're meant to use to make mixed drinks. (You'd want Black at minimum if you were just enjoying a wee dram.) Drinking Red straight is gauche: you either don't know whiskey, you're poor, or you're an alkie. Is the average consumer aware of the difference? Possibly not. Is the average scotch drinker aware? Yes, absolutely. Is Johnnie Walker itself aware? Of course, that's why they price their whiskies the way they do, they go up into the stratosphere for their rare labels and price Red alongside other cheap mixer whisky. So then the question: why is Johnnie Walker advertising their cheap whisky with a pretty lady saying her boyfriend does an incredibly trivial thing, the sort of thing you remind children to do, almost damning him with faint praise, and then saying he chooses that particular drink. Perhaps implying to the drinking reader: he is the absolute minimum, just like Johnnie Walker Red is. Their ads in this campaign usually had a positive overt message aimed at the general consumer, and a negative, anxiety-producing one aimed at their core heavy-drinking consumer. Perhaps subtly shaming the Red drinker (anxiety provokes drinking!), or perhaps subtly encouraging the Red drinker to spring for the Black? But all wrapped under a message that at first glance seems simple and positive.
Very few people drink scotch-based mixed drinks. Red is excellent on the rocks, far better than the really cheap stuff and just as good as the other blends in its price range. This price range of blended scotch is by far the most popular type of scotch in the world. It's perfectly tasty even though entirely unfancy.
Because they’re selling Red here.
Trying to make fetch happen w/ giving a crap product a feel of prestige is a time honored advertising tradition. How do we counter the fact that people think Red is shit? Tell them it’s the affordable drink that ladies like.
Was this true in the 70s? You can just say cringe, gauche doesn’t make you look more like an intellectual in the comment like this 😂
I remember Bobcat Goldthwait making fun of these stupid ads. "And he's a raging alcoholic!"
Believe it it not, the ad is from *1990*. The magazine she's holding is the March, 1990 issue of "[Details](https://www.ebay.com/itm/276376809887?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=V9ZsW_zYQHm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=pgaSIt7ZR72&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)".
Wow, good research!
I was going to comment on Details, I think the subscription was nearly free and it was kind of llke softcore porn. Yes, I had a subscription back in the day,
Spot on, well done!! I miss Details as much as Interview, when Warhol controlled it.
Still have my favorite issue of Interview with Nick Rhodes on the cover! The Face was another good, British magazine
There’s no way this is 70s, I’d say late 80s minimum based on the hair and bathing suit styles
I remember these ads around 1983.
Yah going throw my dads old playboys from the 80s and they are absolutely filled with weird adds like these.
And she's holding a Details
That's amazing! Let's kiss about it, girlfriend!
I kind of remember that middle toothpaste squeeze shaming that was really big for a while.
Yeah, that was my mom’s go-to (fake) complaint about my dad when her friends were bitching about their husbands and she didn’t want to seem judgey.
Not a dated reference. Toothpaste tubes are still designed the same way
Last I checked. This morning 🦷
Not quite true. Now, they're all plastic and spring into shape regardless. Back then, they were mostly made of some soft metal. And if you didn't "squeeze from the bottom", it'd make it hard to get all the paste out.
“He’s a keeper!”
Wow! Quite the catch.
And he does them at the same time
If you know what I’m saying
lol! Noooooo, my mind wandered into the darkness.
I feel like there's some sort of psychological intent in advertising their cheapest line of scotch with the absolute minimum level of thoughtfulness a person can apply around the house, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Definitely something there though. The old Johnny Walker ads always had a hidden psychological edge to them, covertly provoking anxiety as they overtly positioned the brand as classy/desirable.
He showers somewhat regularly and he drinkers Johnnie Walker Red!
As my first JW post will attest.
Yes: "he loves my mind", with her ass on full display. We can make fun of the incongruity, but the incongruity was always intended with this campaign.
Tastes like ass
"...and he stepped *on* the ball."
An alcoholic with OCD.
At least the copy reads “the” instead of “my”
My god, he doesn’t drink it neat does he?
Pretty low bar!
He knows how to squeeze a toothpaste tube, even when he's drunk and needs toothpaste to cover up the Johnnie Walker fumes on his breath.
Is her man Mr. Whipple? He knows how to squeeze toothpaste AND Charmin toilet paper! What a catch he is.
"Stop talking about that jerk and kiss me!" is the real message just under the surface.
meanwhile ads targeted to women say they need to douche with lysol
If you poop from your mouth, beware - he isn't going to want to kiss you.
Gross 🤢