P&G Beauty Soap Introduces
World’s Easiest Diet

 
“Directions are on the Camay wrapper.”

                                                            -- Alan Kent

 

Lincoln, Me. (DG)—

For a lot of people, the word “diet” was (and is) a 4-letter word--- and I don’t necessarily mean the number of letters!  The typical diet requires willpower, determination, and discipline.  Many people have tried it, but not many succeed.  As discouraging as it sounds, not all diets were hard to maintain.  In fact, there was a diet during the early 1940’s that was actually easy to maintain.  However, there are 2 things that are different.  It wasn’t a diet associated with weight loss, and it was created for women only (sorry, gents!).  What this diet provided was a soft, smooth, younger looking complexion.  This diet required the services of Camay Soap, and radio was the place where the listeners heard about this miracle.

Listeners of PEPPER YOUNG’S FAMILY heard announcer Alan Kent talk about “The Camay Mild-Soap Diet.”   Kent talked about what the diet did, but he didn’t describe it in detail--- except its directions were on the Camay wrapper.  This was a clever tactic, because if the women wanted to find out how to have a softer, smoother, and younger complexion, they had to go to their favorite store and buy some Camay.   Instead of hearing about the Camay Mild-Soap Diet, the women found out for themselves.

Since Kent didn’t describe the Camay Mild-Soap Diet, and some of you may not have been around to hear him in 1943 (the year of the enclosed commercial), this was what it was all about.  There were some requirements.  First, the women had to have a complexion.  This was easy, since I don’t know of any human who didn’t have one!  Time was another important element.  A woman had to put aside a minute or 2 during the morning and evening.  Warm and cold water were also needed--- and let’s not forget the cause of all this--- Camay Soap!  If the soap had another brand name, it was simply the WRONG soap!

Now that you know what was needed, this was the Camay Mild-Soap Diet (as printed in the Camay magazine ads during the early-mid 1940’s).  First, the woman had to buy 3 cakes of Camay at her favorite store.  That evening, she used a Camay cake and worked the soap’s lather onto the complexion.  In the process, the woman paid closer attention to the nose, under the nostrils, and on the chin.  Once the lathering was completed, the woman rinsed her face with warm water and then splashed with cold water for an extra 30 seconds--- then pat dry with a towel.  All was left for the woman to do was to get some “Z’s.”  While she was sleeping, the woman’s complexion was doing some good things.  The tiny pores were functioning with her natural beauty.

When it was time to get up, the woman had to perform the morning version of the Camay Mild-Soap Diet.  Simply put, it was a repeat of the nighttime session.  This was done for 30 days.  The ad implied to use Camay and only Camay--- don’t allow any other soap brand to touch the complexion.

That in its entirety was the Camay Mild-Soap Diet.  Announcer Kent mentioned that any woman who tried it noticed a big difference in her complexion before the very first Camay cake was used up. 

When the 30 days were up, was that the end of the Camay Mild-Soap Diet?  Not really.  With the woman’s complexion softer, smoother, and younger looking, it was important to keep it that way.  Since Camay provided the improvement--- and 3 cakes were originally purchased, the woman continued to use it for her daily facial washings.

Although Camay’s magazine advertising was associated with young brides, any woman, married or single, young or old, could try Camay’s Mild-Soap Diet and get the same results as the young brides who already tried it.