Commercials of the 90s: we learned with them.
Those who were lucky enough to grow up in the 90s will undoubtedly agree that advertising was one of the sources of knowledge back then. Moreover, in various spheres of life: knowledge in the field of human physiology, psychology, history, English, and so on. At a time when the Internet was still a curiosity, advertising actually played an informational role to a greater extent than it does now.
Previous part.
Gaskets “allways” “o.b.” "tampax": critical days are not scary!
Advertising of this type probably made everyone who already understood what it was about, both men and women, feel awkward. The topic of “critical days” was somehow very far from me personally back then. I remember how my older brother explained to me that Tampax tampons are not inserted into the hand, as was shown in the video (the phrase “in the middle of your body” was somewhat misleading to some schoolchildren). In this unusual way, many schoolchildren - not from the Internet or even from biology lessons - learned some important physiological characteristics of women. Then “Tampax” was one of the first and one of the most popular “brands” of a well-known focus. Poor TV viewers also had the opportunity to see advertisements for Allways, which even had wings - but I don’t remember who flew them and where. I also remember the slogan “o.k. – o.b.” In general, manufacturers of such an intimate product as sanitary pads, created to combat menstrual periods,” tried to convince of the necessity and indispensability of this benefit of civilization, and also to stand out from their competitors. How much moisture they can absorb, how conveniently they are located, how conveniently they are secured - all this was usually mentioned with relish, not without detail. And sometimes the videos included “cool” melodies for those times with simple rhymed advertising texts. Of course, today they are perceived very naively. World history: with the Imperial Bank
But the educational value of Russian advertising of the 90s does not end there. An example that evokes much more pleasant emotions is the decision of the Imperial Bank to create a series of videos that are quite abstract from the bank itself. Apparently, it simply collected interesting stories from world history. It’s as if it was somehow illogical, by today’s standards, that a publicity stunt was made. And at the same time, the videos were quite powerful and resonant at that time.
Here's an example. Tamerlane, one of the most famous conquerors of the past (14th century), ordered all his soldiers to throw one stone each, and thus a mound was formed. When returning back, the surviving warriors took the stones. The remaining pile of stones - apparently symbolizing the dead soldiers - evoked very strong, but at the same time, contradictory feelings. And, as they say, you are a soulless brute if you haven’t cried. =) Especially in the phrase: “And he spoke to them, remembering their names.”
Other videos in this series used tales or true stories, a little embellished, a little creatively reworked... But made like a real short film! And now we can confidently say that these were masterpieces of art. A little humor and irony (as in the story about Nero), a little historical surroundings - and very interesting, educational “things” came out! Dandruff and caries: enemies are defeatable (Wash&Go, Colgate, Orbit, Dirol, etc.) Of course, through advertising that was in the 90s, we “discovered” (also, by the way, a phrase from advertising) that life can be absolutely unbearable if you have not yet defeated such severe enemies of humanity as, for example, dandruff and tooth decay. If we talk about the enemy of hair, then the manufacturers of Western shampoos, trying to conquer the promising Russian market, tried to describe their advantages over competitors as much as possible, citing, at first glance, logical arguments. Sometimes interesting experiments were carried out. However, in our minds this sometimes sounded as strange and wild as experiments on eggshells, which were carried out in order to protect against another disaster - caries. Remember? There, another half of the egg was treated with the “regular” paste, and the other with the advertised one.
As a result of the adverse effect, the first half became soft, and the second remained hard. And then, in some humorous program, all this absurdity resulted in a parody: the shampoo advertised in it was applied to one half of the head (!), and the “regular” one - to the other.
Of course, one cannot help but remember in connection with the problem of caries Dirol, Orbit, Stimorol and others like them. Everyone tried to stand out by cramming a “key” phrase into the video, which was then on everyone’s lips. For example, we remember “Dirol” because it was “with xylitol and carbomite.” And who cares, we didn’t even know what it was! The advertisement was discussed, which means the desired result was achieved.
Life without imagination, or “Her Majesty, the Plastic Bottle!” Forgot, forgot, completely forgot! But this item can with full confidence be called the “queen of the 90s”! And why all? Yes, simply because now he (more precisely, she) has become so firmly established in our everyday life that it is difficult to imagine how we managed without him before. What do we drink various drinks from almost every day, pour vegetable oil into a frying pan? What do we pour the necessary liquid into? And (Oh, God! This would never have occurred to us in the 90s!) we throw it away without the slightest remorse? Did you guess it?! Yes, it's her - Her Majesty,
Plastic bottle!
Remember how we bought completely unnecessary drinks just to wash it and use it further. How long have plastic containers been stored on our farm? Buying a plastic bottle of lemonade was considered a sign of wealth, if not coolness. Only wealthy people could afford to drink beer not from glass bottles, but to buy themselves (and more!) their favorite drink in plastic containers. Well, and, of course, wash it in order, for example, to collect milk there for bottling at the grandmothers. The long-lasting beer smell doesn't count! And even if the label is beautiful, there was no price for such a bottle! I remember that some housewives even tried to preserve something for the winter in such bottles. For example, tomato juice. Can you imagine the joy of the household when this product was opened for the New Year! The brightness of emotions was guaranteed for a long time! Moreover, in the literal sense of the word: the housewives had no idea that the nutritious drink, as a result of fermentation with a bright fireworks splash, would disturb the grayness of the kitchen, leaving blood-red marks on its walls right up to the next renovation. But even after this disaster, the bottle was lovingly washed and continued to be used around the house. I wonder where our people love plastic containers so much? Maybe the “circulation” of the product was limited? Or is it all about our natural craving for collecting, which probably comes from our primitive ancestors? And how come we haven’t learned to transfer healthy liquids into the younger “brother” of our bottle, that is, into a cardboard food bag? Imagine, I drank the juice and poured the compote into the bag! Not fate, apparently! All the laurels went to her, although the first packages with juices and cheap wine also appeared in the mid-90s. You know, sometimes the thought comes to mind that a plastic bottle is the greatest achievement of humanity! How did we ever live without her? Do you need to roll out the dough? Pour water into the bottle and your rolling pin is ready! If you want to continue building muscles, pour sand into the same bottle - here are dumbbells for you! Need to invite your family over for dinner? I cut off the neck of the bottle and the horn is ready! Don’t throw it away after dinner - it will come in handy as a funnel for bulk products or liquids! The second half of the bottle is suitable for seedlings! And if you decorate it a little, you can turn it into an elegant flowerpot or just a flower pot (it all depends on your imagination!). Stop sitting at home - it's time to go to nature, to the country! Naturally, without a bottle there is nothing to do there! Let the adults make lampshades and buckets out of it, and let the children play bowling. Shall we go to the river? The time has come to test our unique raft or lifebuoy, made from bottles knitted in a special way! Another wonderful property of a sealed bottle came in handy: plastic doesn’t sink! At night in winter, many people did not forget to fill a bottle with hot water and place it under their feet. For needlewomen, a plastic bottle is a treasure trove of fantasies! All kinds of boxes, bracelets, garlands, baskets, flowers, even curtains... I think if Robinson Crusoe had been left alone on a desert island with several packs of plastic bottles... he would have survived with great pleasure and even comfort! He probably would have made slippers out of them, and maybe he would have built himself a house by filling the bottles with sand and stacking them on top of each other. One “but”: Robinson did not have “original Russian” ingenuity and did not live in the 90s!
Gambling addiction of the 90s: a pleasant and almost harmless addiction (Electronics, Tetris, Yo-Yo, Tamagotchi, etc.)
The main toy of our time is the computer. Computer games are so exciting that we sometimes forget to eat or sleep. But our addiction did not come immediately. It reaches out to us from childhood and adolescence - from the nineties. What did we play in those days? I'll tell you with my own example. At first I had a small toy - “Electronics”, where the wolf caught eggs.
Four trays from which eggs roll down, and between them a wolf with a basket. I still remember the sound of rolling eggs. The speed increases, and now you are accumulating broken shells. The limit of broken eggs ends - and everything starts all over again. It was a primitive toy with simple controls, but it was extremely popular and passed from hand to hand.
Then Tetris appeared.
Platform with a display and a set of buttons. This toy came in several modifications. The simplest one had only one game called “Tetris” in its functionality. The figures falling from above had to be folded into even rows, which were removed to make room for new ones. And if even rows did not work out, then they accumulated, reached the very top, and the game ended. The higher the level, the greater the speed. As the speed increases, you begin to get more nervous, fidgeting in place, as if body movements will help you position the figure correctly. Now there is almost no space left on the screen, and you lose, shouting the newfangled “damn!” More advanced models, in addition to Tetris, included Tanchiki, Snake and other games. In some models, the number of games reached 99 pieces, as indicated on the body of the toy: “1 in 1”, “8 in 1” or “99 in 1”. The reign of Tetris lasted a long time. The game has been modified, and even now it can occasionally be found for sale in kiosks and stalls.
Handheld games have been replaced by Yo-Yos.
This is a toy consisting of two identical disks connected by an axle. A rope was attached to the axle, along which the Yo-Yo rose and fell. Our parents were more happy with these toys than the previous ones. After all, training with “Yo-Yo” provided at least some kind of “physical activity”. =) Then entire Yo-Yo clubs and competitions began to be created. The techniques for controlling the toy were very different: from simple ones that a beginner could master to the most complex ones that only professionals could master. "Yo-Yo" has lost the breadth of its popularity, but among amateurs it is still valuable. They can be found on sale even now. Modern design, large assortment, but still the good old Yo-Yo.
Who, as a child, did not ask their parents to get a cat or a dog? Everyone has probably gone through this. But not all parents fulfilled the child’s wishes. Therefore, Tamagotchis became a kind of compensation for the intractability of mothers and fathers.
The invention of Japanese manufacturers created a stir around the world. A small device that fit in the palm of a teenager imitated a pet. On the display you could see a kitten or a puppy, and in some models you could choose between a duck, an alien or a panda. “Tamagotchi” brought to life the dream of a pet that had to be looked after, fed, “walked,” treated, and even had to be played with so that it would not die of boredom. And it wasn't enough to do it just once a day. Tamagotchi was constantly asking for something. Therefore, we took him to school for lessons, so as not to miss feeding or a walk. With good care, he matured and his age was shown on the display. If a pet suffered from hunger, melancholy and disease, it died. On some models the inscription “Game over” was displayed, on others a mound with a cross appeared. Even my dog died once and I can’t express in words how worried I was about it. Seeing the unfortunate hill, I threw the Tamagotchi far away so as not to have to go through it again. The vulnerable child’s psyche was subjected to incredible stress at that moment, which almost turned into depression. But a little time passed, and I turned it on again, trying to satisfy all his needs. My puppy grew up, and I watched with delight as he jumped around the display with a happy face.
Nowadays, these toys are not even of interest to modern children. The new generation was born in front of a computer and... as they say, “schoolboys” cannot understand what emotions we experienced at their age! They probably won't have to cry for the lost Tamagotchi!
Hobbies of the school period: candy wrappers, “Love is...” and questionnaires.
My childhood was completely spent in the 90s. True, I went to kindergarten for the first half of them and from that time I remember very little. But in 1993, when I entered the first grade of high school, a more conscious age began.
I remember that after school, I always stayed in after school. In first grade, we just did our homework, then there was a quiet hour, and then our parents took us home. In the afterschool, where I stayed after classes in the second grade, we did homework and played various games. What I remember most from that time was the game of “candy wrappers.” At that time, chewing gum was literally just about to appear; I remember well how I constantly begged my parents for “Love is” chewing gum. And often they bought.
Each chewing gum contained a colored candy wrapper with inscriptions. I never threw them away, but collected them, and so did most of my peers. This is how we spent our time playing with them: we brought candy wrappers to the “after school” and played with them. A company of several people gathered, everyone took out one candy wrapper, stacked it on top of each other - so that the picture was not visible, after which they took turns (how the queue was determined, I don’t remember anymore) clapped their palms, and how many candy wrappers turned upside down, so many and took it for themselves. It was very disappointing when you collect and collect these candy wrappers, and then lose them all in one go. And again we had to collect candy wrappers in a new way so that we could play again and again. And so on for a very long period of time until we grew up.
In high school, in our school (probably not only in ours, but in all schools) it was very fashionable to compose and fill out so-called questionnaires.
Almost every girl at school had questionnaires, I remember how we asked a friend to fill out his questionnaire, and, of course, we filled out the profiles of our friends. The thicker the questionnaire was, the more different questions it contained, the more people filled it out, the more interesting the questionnaire was. Sometimes in the questionnaires, on the very first pages, they wrote something like this: “Please do not dirty the notebook, do not tear out the sheets. And if there are mistakes, please do not correct them.” Or: “Consider all mistakes as a smile.” This is how they justified their illiteracy.
The questionnaire was filled out not only by girls, but also by boys. I remember taking my friends’ questionnaires home to fill out, filling out my own page, and then it was very interesting to see how others filled out the same questionnaire. Some students instead of full name. indicated some encrypted parameters, and it was very interesting to figure out who filled out the form like that. At the end of all the questions, it was necessary to draw something interesting and write your wish to the owner of the questionnaire. I didn’t like this point at all, and therefore I didn’t like filling out other people’s profiles, but I really loved it when my profile was filled out and my friends wrote about how well they treated me. Of particular interest at school age were the questions in the questionnaire: “Who do you like? Who are you friends with? Who are you not friends with? Someone you love? You have a boyfriend? What's his name?" and other questions of this kind. Personally, I always answered lies to such frank questions. I was somehow embarrassed to be frank, knowing that later others would read it. It was also very fashionable to include “secrets” in each profile. This is when a sheet of notebook was folded several times and “DO NOT open” was written on it. It was very interesting to see what kind of “secret” this was and, as I remember, I always secretly opened such leaves from everyone and looked at what was written there. It always happens like this: what you can’t do, you really want. And in my profile there was also such a secret, I asked everyone who discovered my secret to sign it or draw something as a keepsake. I was especially delighted when my questionnaire was filled out by girlfriends and friends from parallel classes, or friends in the yard. I don’t even know how to explain, but for some reason this was also especially appreciated. I still have my school questionnaire; even at school I constantly reviewed it, already in high school. And you know, I read and smiled, remembering how stupid we were, how funny we answered questions, and what wonderful questions we asked in our questionnaires. Now my old school profile still exists. She lies somewhere far away, abandoned, it seems - with her parents. By the way, it would be very interesting to find it, look at it and look through it after such a long period of time. Yes, I’ll have to do this in my spare time – remember my childhood.
In general, as correctly noted in “Demotivators,” questionnaires are “vkontakte” from the 90s.
What's surprising? Man is created with the need to communicate. Back then it was done in such a nice little way.
Black and white photos, or “Excursion into the past.”
A wonderful time - the early 90s! What do we have left of them except nostalgic memories? Of course, photographs! They are very different from modern ones. Bright, colored ones are rare, mostly black and white, amateur ones. This does not mean that our life at that time was devoid of color. On the contrary, there are so many emotions, positivity, happiness in every photo! If someone in your company had Zenit or FED
