72 Ads From The Past That Would Be Banned Today

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“Colored kids make a costume vastly more attractive.” – F. Blumenthal & Co.

Source: https://image.businessinsider.com

The people behind this ad thought they were being witty and creative with their wordplay on the words “colored kids,” but today, everything about this ad, from the picture to its text, is racist and offensive.

The Fashion Publicity Company and Amalgamated Leather Companies, Inc. used the term “colored kids” to refer to their footwear. At that time, “kids” referred to kidskin boots or shoes made of goat’s skin, much like how we use the term “kicks” to refer to shoes today. FB & C was a popular dyed kidskin that comes in a wide range of colors, shades, and styles to be paired perfectly with any gown.

The admen could’ve easily drawn a picture of a woman choosing from a wide selection of shoes to complement a full closet of gowns, but once again, they thought they were being clever by including both colored kidskin boots and colored children to promote their “Colored Kids” footwear. It was not only racist and offensive, but it was also unnecessary to include children in a picture that, when rephrased, simply says, “Dyed kidskin boots make an outfit more attractive.”