Since 1894 the White Rock range of soft drinks has employed the services of scantily clad and decidedly suggestive “Psyche” to draw attention to their products. Over the years her appearance has evolved with the times and the changes can be seen on the White Rock website and at a White Rock Collectors site. These examples come from the 1940’s and positively leap from the pages of Life magazine when seen in the context of the editorial prudery typical of the time. The tenuous association with the values of Fine Art must have been just strong enough to insulate the advertiser from the wrath of the guardians of public morality. In the example below, “Psyche” has been co-opted into an Esquire magazine type of narrative and her dress code is restrained as she emerges from the fireplace to the astonishment of corporate man with pipe. Only the caption writer’s innuendo (“how much better one feels the next morning”) supports her risqué reputation.
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