Friday, August 29, 2008

friday flashback-ayds before aids

Before Atkins or pilates, how did women stay looking good in their shirtwaists and twin sets? They got Ayds! Little candies, invidually wrapped (like Viactivs) were introduced in the 40s with the claim that users could "lose up to 10 pounds in 5 days, without dieting or exercising." After the FTC objected, the product promise had to be modified, but did not deter growing success of The Ayds Reducing Plan with Candy Cubes which became wildly popular until the early 80s, when a miscalculating acquisitions company purchased rights to the name.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

My mother had a stash of Ayds candy in the utility drawer. We weren't allowed to eat them, because they were her "diet medicine." Think I'll go look for some candy cigarettes now to calm my nerves.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and yes, that woman in the spot was just soooo fat...

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

@I know, I know Auntie! Can you believe: "I need to take a photo of you not pigging out?!" At first I thought the spot was for Polaroid. Probably a sad attempt at their Garner and Hartley.

And, say--weren't the peanut butter ones disgusting?

Anonymous said...

What a cow in that spot! Couldn't they have used a regular plus-sized model instead of a fatty-bo-batty like her?! Terrible art directing.....

Joker said...

Mmmm mmm, people just couldn't get enough Ayds back then.

Hmm I dunno about dieting, I'll just stick to ayds.

Mommy!! Why can't I have ayds too!!

Major weight loss achieved thanks to Ayds epidemic.



disturbing to read any of those out loud.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

@Jeremy Greenfield I was less alarmed by the casting than I was by the concept. A husband snapping shots of his wife's dinner portions? Who writes a script like that?

@Joker. Yes, would be funny if it weren't so sad.