It’s Never Too Early For Sugary Drinks (Wordless Wednesday)
Image credit: Joan Thewlis
“How soon is too soon? Not soon enough. Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early formative period have a much higher chance of gaining acceptance and “fitting in” during those awkward pre-teen and teen years. So, do yourself a favor. Do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness.”
This image has been posted elsewhere before, but it HAS to be posted here too because it left me speechless, which rarely happens. My first thought was that this is some kind of a joke, but after researching this on the web, I am not so sure.
Do you happen to know if this was a real ad? It must be a joke, right?
Now look at this little gem:
Image credit: retro contemoraneo
I guess the concept of “good parenting” has changed a lot over the past couple generations.
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Crunchy Domestic Goddess responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 10:05 pm →
OMG - surely it is a joke, right? right? RIGHT? or else, ACK! what a world.
Will responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 10:21 pm →
It has to be a joke. When people ask me what the first thing they should do to get on the road to better health. I say if they drink any soda at all, stop. People know they should not smoke, but they often have no idea that a soda habit is almost as bad.
Happy WW!
Funsize responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 10:25 pm →
Lol, there is no way this could be a real advertisement. Still, I love the pic. Happy WW!
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 10:45 pm →
I’m speechless too! Are these ads for real??? I absolutely do not encourage carbonated drinks for my kids. Good old plain and filtered water is best!
Missy @ It's Almost Naptime responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 10:57 pm →
THAT is HYSTERICAL!!
It reminds me of those old ads with the doctor advising people to smoke!
It is also a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. I am suspicious of any information telling me what to eat or drink…dig a little and all the “medical studies” were funded by the fish lobby or the dairy industry etc…they are just a lot less obvious now!
Cecily responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 11:15 pm →
I give my kids Coke as babies…but I wait to give them cigars and chaw til they are at least two and a half…
Good GOSH. PLEASE tell me that is a joke!
the man responds:
Posted: May 20th, 2008 at 11:52 pm →
I think the first ad is a joke, since it spells guaranteed wrong. Also, and I could be wrong, back in the `1950’s, society didn’t think of the preteen and teen years as “awkward.” That came around with the next generation, I think.
The second ad could very well be real, it uses the same types of ideas as modern advertisement, just in a much more primitive and unrefined way.
Pamela responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 12:11 am →
I’m trying to remember if I ever saw anything like that when I was a kid.
It wouldn’t surprise me. I sure remember all the cigarette ads… which weren’t quite so open, but more subliminal
Rivster responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 12:25 am →
I KNEW it!! I LOVE soda, have always loved it, and am dismayed that my daughter won’t drink it! Our son enjoys soda. He also loves milk, water, and an occasional glass of juice.
And, interestingly enough, he’s the really, really smart one!
bela responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 2:02 am →
is this true? LOL.
mine is up. hope you can drop by to check it out:
http://www.womenxplore.com/2008/05/wordless-wednesday-7-view-of-punta.html
Jean at Penny Lane responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 4:39 am →
I never heard of the Soda Pop Board of America.
Interesting ads, maybe someone had some fun with PhotoShop?
Randall responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 7:21 am →
You’re never too young for peer pressure! LOL
Kellie responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 7:33 am →
Hysterical! I’m sure if they could get away with recommending it, they totally would! Happy WW! :o)
Chris responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 7:49 am →
Vered–I knew I was doing something right with this parenting thing. Just to make sure that I’m keeping them healthy, I give them Diet Coke.
Coke Rules!!!!!
Those who said that this was a joke have no idea of the wonders of soda can do in child rearing. If you give them desert before a meal or chocolate before they go to bed and chase it with coke in a sippy cup or formula bottle then you would be a candidate for parent fo the year.
You see, this is the reason why Warren Buffet is heavily invested in Coca-Cola because he knows that American Parenting sensibilities will never fail him.
Amanda - The Mom Crowd responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 8:17 am →
It wouldn’t surprise me if these were real! I wonder how many advertisements we have today that we will look back on in forty years and say “Can you believe that we actually believed that?” We shoudl never believe marketing! ha!
I do enjoy some Coca-Cola though.
Marsha (at JustMe1947) responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 8:32 am →
Doctors used to advertise for cigarettes, about the calming effect that smoking had on your nerves so this isn’t that far-fetched! I’ve seen lots of toddlers wandering around drinking soda out of their bottles! Maybe their parents were influenced by this ad? lol
I hope you get a chance to check out my WW post for today!
Just Some Thoughts
Hunter Nuttall responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 9:59 am →
I can’t stop laughing! I think it has to be fake though. There’s too much wrong with it, starting with the fact that they would have done their research with surveys (asking teens “Do you fit in?” and “When did you start drinking soda?”), not “laboratory tests” (”Ma’am, can we lock up your baby in the lab for 18 years to observe the effects of a strict regimen of soda?”).
magpie responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 10:07 am →
“a strict regimen of soda” = beautiful.
Suzie responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 10:22 am →
Ill be sure to start my babies on cola right away. Never too early for caffene and sugar.
Jill responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 11:07 am →
Until this line “Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now”, I thought it was for real, but now I’m pretty sure that Jean is right and someone “had some fun with Photoshop”. Also, the man is correct too - they misspelled guaranteed.
The second one looks like a classic 50s ad. Funny!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pm →
OK. I agree with “the man”, Jean and Jill - it does look like someone had some fun with Photoshop on the first ad, while the second ad seems to be genuine and belong in an era where coke and TV were not rationed by parents as they are today.
Agree with you Missy on medical studies.
Chris, I should have known better than to read your comment while drinking. I had to change my shirt.
@ Amanda – I’m sure many things that are promoted today will indeed seem outrageous in the future.
@ Marsha: interesting. I didn’t realize cigarette smoking was promoted by doctors! That’s amazing.
@ Hunter: true… “laboratory tests” – another telltale sign that it’s fake.
Jocelyn responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 2:52 pm →
Great WW entry!
Visit Hip Mama’s Place some time.
hipmamasplace.com
Thank you.
Marelisa responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 3:03 pm →
What I find interesting here is that they’re not advertising “something to drink” per se. They’re advertising “how to fit in” and “how to be a better parent”. I once read that Revlon doesn’t sell make-up, it sells hope
More and more I switch the channel when the commercials come on, delete e-mails trying to sell me something (somehow the product is always so popular that the server crashes, unable to keep up with all of the people logging onto the website at the same time), and don’t pay attention to the advertisements along the road. Regardless of whether these two advertisments are real or not, and even though they’re portrayed as something of the past, I think everyone should go on an advertisement fast for a week or two every now and then.
Sara responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 6:31 pm →
I’m with the masses that say it’s gotta be a fake. Still, if you look at a lot of commercials today, they say essentially the same thing. The worst are back-to-school kids’ clothing ads! They basically make it clear that if you don’t have new clothes, prepare for a year of wedgies and locker stuffing.
Pinay Jade responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 6:50 pm →
Ha ha ha! This is hilarious. I need to keep this in mind when I become a parent;)
phyllis responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 7:29 pm →
how funny….life sure has changed, eh?
MomGrind responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 9:26 pm →
@ Marelisa: an advertisement fast sounds GREAT. It’s really hard to escape advertising, isn’t it? It’s EVERYWHERE. And I completely agree that cosmetics companies are selling us hope - false hope.
@ Sara: I agree that messages of “spend $$$ or you won’t fit it” are a big problem, especially when directed towards children.
J.D. Meier responds:
Posted: May 21st, 2008 at 11:07 pm →
I’m not sure Coke really is the key to happiness, but I do know that around Christmas time, I really like when they put Santa on the can.
Shilpan | successsoul.com responds:
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm →
Vered,
Great sense of humor with this. I don’t know where you get all the pics but they are always the best I’ve seen on the blogshere.
Shilpan
Miranda responds:
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm →
This. Is. AWESOME.
John Rocheleau responds:
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 4:16 pm →
This sure shows how much we’ve learned since those days. I enjoyed this little trip into the past. Have you ever seen those old ads touting the benefits of radioactive water. It was sold as a health drink apparently.
I stumbled ya,
John
MomGrind responds:
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 5:10 pm →
@ John: can’t say that I’ve seen those.
Thanks.
Deb responds:
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 pm →
What they don’t tell you is that the baby in the picture is really 15 years old.
Robin responds:
Posted: May 23rd, 2008 at 12:59 am →
It’s gotta be a joke. But whoever put it together was cleverly outlining the ridiculousness of many people’s thinking. Thanks for giving me a laugh! - Robin
Kelly@SHE-POWER responds:
Posted: May 23rd, 2008 at 2:48 am →
You definitely think it has to be a joke because it is so completely INSANE to say a baby can never be too young for cola! But think how far we’ve come in terms of knowledge about health and laws regulating what companies can say. Cigarettes are a perfect example, so this could very well have been a real ad. I wouldn’t be surprised either way.
Anyway, will be on the plane tomorrow so catch ya later, Vered.
Kelly
Joel Falconer responds:
Posted: May 23rd, 2008 at 5:36 am →
I’m pretty sure my son has never tasted the stuff and I quit drinking it myself a while back. Soda is evil! Caffeine, on the other hand…
Vered, thanks for your recent comments at Lifehack.org.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: May 24th, 2008 at 2:56 pm →
Lol @ Deb
@ Robin: it IS a clever stab at marketing and advertising, isn’t it.
@ Kelly: “think how far we’ve come in terms of knowledge about health and laws regulating what companies can say”. This is very true. Have a great vacation! Looking forward to hearing how it was, and hopefully seeing some great pics.
@ Joel: well, caffeine supposedly has health benefits, but a reader said they were saying the same about nicotine so who knows.
Joel Falconer responds:
Posted: May 24th, 2008 at 8:53 pm →
I have an unhealthy addiction to caffeine, and me and my coffee machine have a relationship somewhat like some guys and their cars
When it comes to my son, though, I once gave him a sip (less than a teaspoon) of my coffee and I’ll never let that kid near caffeine again - the next few hours were hell!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: May 25th, 2008 at 9:41 am →
Ha. That’s funny. I’ll be sure NOT to give my kids a sip of coffee.
CharlesP responds:
Posted: May 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am →
The first pic is close enough to what advertisements were in “that era” that it could be real, though I think it’s a fake. My wife’s family believes Pepsi is medicinal and her grandfather would give it to anybody who wasn’t feeling well, no matter how small. I live in Georgia and I had friends who were given Coke in their bottles as babies. So not that far fetched.
On the caffeine for kids thing: It depends on the kid and their makeup. School aged kids in some areas of Italy are given a cup of espresso each morning to calm them down (Ritalin is like speed or the other coke as I recall, and this is on the same principle). I think it’s much like kids and benadryl, some get wired on it, and some get knocked out. We started letting our 10 year old have tea for the caffeine to help him focus when doing school (we homeschool and he’d probably be labeled as ADD if he were in a normal school… he gets that from me) and also to help with his migraines (which he gets from his mother).
MomGrind responds:
Posted: May 28th, 2008 at 4:13 pm →
@ Charles: “I live in Georgia and I had friends who were given Coke in their bottles as babies.” My parents gave me sweetened tea - caffeinated as far as I know - in my bottle when I was a baby. Not as bad as Coke obviously, but still not the best choice.
Tea at the age of 10 seems like a much better choice than at 6 months old.
Sarah responds:
Posted: May 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm →
And here I was thinking how parenting has degenerated since I was born! Where did you dig those photos up from… lol!
Kim @ What's That Smell? responds:
Posted: May 30th, 2008 at 7:06 pm →
I sure hope that isn’t real!
Crista responds:
Posted: June 1st, 2008 at 9:36 pm →
I was sent here by my blog friend Pinay Jade and I have enjoyed reading your posts. This one was hilarious! I will come back often to check on new updates and feel free to stop by mine too!
Crista’s last blog post..U-Haul update
Hunter Nuttall . com » Blog Archive » Cola Is Good For Babies: Fact Or Fiction? responds:
Posted: June 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 am →
[…] Vered posted this picture that had me and some friends laughing for two days straight: […]
Michelle in Mx responds:
Posted: August 16th, 2008 at 2:29 pm →
this hits me so funny that, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna post it on my blog! Credit being given to you, of course!
Michelle in Mx’s last blog post..Proof we’ve got to get out of the city.
join xocai responds:
Posted: September 4th, 2008 at 1:09 pm →
It\’s taken the USA by storm and people are earning big bucks with through healthy chocolate…sounds good to me!