"The businessman"

Here the toothbrush is associated with success, and what man didn't want to be successful in the 1920's? Business was booming, the stock market was soaring, and everybody wanted to be part of it. In this ad, Pro-Brush is subtly playing on the early "American dream." By saying that a man needs a toothbrush for the home, the office, and when he travels on business, they are distancing that man from the lower, less-educated classes of American citizens. At the same time, they are giving those same lower class citizens something to aspire to, a heroic figure that they can try to emulate any way they can. The emulation could begin by owning their own toothbrush.

• Introduction
• Instructions and Appeals to the Science of Dentistry
  • "All conscientious dentists will tell you..."
  • "The Best Dentists..."
  • "A toothbrush endorsed by a dentist is sure to be good"
  • "Next to a good dentist..."
  • "What happens when you brush..."
• Fear, Vanity & Modernity
  • "Woman at mirror"
  • "Mirror helps millions make vital decisions"
  • "I am the tooth brush..."
  • "They laughed at me in Cairo..."
  • "The Poem"
• Targeting a Specific Audience
  • "Every mother knows that."
  • "Handy book for girls."
  • "Handy book for boys."
  • "The businessman"
• Bibliography

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