Looking back at the original product, competitors and other print ads used marketing tactics that not only helped sell the product, but also reinforced societal and gender expectations. Advertisements marketed these products not just as hairstyling tools, but also as essential multitasking tools for maintaining a woman’s appearance, aligning with ideas of femininity.

A woman's self-worth is associated with the feminine mystique. According to feminist scholars, advertising often taught women how to “live out this [feminine] mystique by buying products that would enhance role performance in daily life” (Stern 1992, 14). The ads can be analyzed to see how they perpetuate beauty standards and social expectations that tied a woman's self-worth to maintaining a perfect appearance.

 

Kindness 20

Competitors like the Kindness 20 used similar marketing terms and tactics. The Kindness 20 catalogue advertisement emphasized speed, ease of use, and safety, using phrases like heating up in “less than 10 minutes” and requiring “no water or lotion.” This framed it as an efficient solution for achieving salon-quality hair at home. This reinforced the societal idea that women should be able to manage their hair quickly and effortlessly (Eaton’s 1969, 317).










 

The Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter

The Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter also focused on speed and ease of use. The packaging showed step-by-step instructions, which reinforced the idea that the product was simple to use. It also emphasized safety by stating the rollers were “not too hot to the touch.” The packaging shows a voluminous, curled hairstyle, reinforcing the beauty standards of the time (Esty n.d).


 

Rayette Cinderella Electric Hair-Setter

The Rayette Cinderella Electric Hair-Setter ad shows various hairstyles, and includes text suggesting how quickly women could change their look between daily activities. This ad also emphasises speed and convenience, showing how fast women could switch hairstyles (Retro Adverto 2012).




 

Clairol Kindness Ad

Another notable advertisement is the Clairol Kindness from the 1960s. This print ad from the United States features a woman with curlers and the phrase “men can’t love a head full of curlers,” suggesting that a woman wearing curlers is unattractive (eBay n.d). The ad reflects the societal pressures women faced to maintain a certain appearance, especially around beauty and femininity.


 

Miss Carol Ad

The Miss Carol ad from Chatelaine engages with the beauty standards of the time but presents a slightly different angle. The image shows an ad, that emphasizes the youthful appearance of women, even mothers. The slogan “Does She or Doesn’t She?” implies that the woman’s well-maintained hair might not be as effortless as it seems, reinforcing the idea that beauty standards extended into motherhood (Chatelaine 1961).

Molyneux interprets the slogan as a tension between a woman’s maternal and sexualized roles in the 1960s. She argues that the ad shows the woman not only as a maternal figure, but also as a sexualized temptress'. This reflects a broader social expectation that women must be nurturing mothers while maintaining their appearance. The ad presents a narrow view of femininity, but according to Molyneux, it also empowers women, giving them the agency to take control of their beauty at home (Molyneux 2002, 126-132). 

Following the Second World War, the 1950s and 1960s became a time of change as more women entered the workforce in Canada, which Chatelaine often discusses (Glew et al. 2016, 137-138). The magazine presented different views, highlighting how work could bring fulfillment and independence, but also raised concerns about its effect on marriage (Glew et al. 2016, 139-141). By 1961, more women were working, but many still stayed home, reflecting a transition and showing society being stuck between the old and new roles (Glew et al. 2016, 138-144).

Takeaways

Feminist scholars note that “advertisements are... considered one of the most influential means of colonization in that they are wrought for mass audiences, are simple to understand, and are accessible to nearly everyone in the invaded culture" (Stern 1992, 11). These advertisements focus on selling convenience, speed, and ease of use to consumers, while reinforcing societal gender roles by positioning women’s appearance as a reflection of their value and suggesting that maintaining beauty requires constant effort. 

By examining advertisements for hair-setting products like the Kindness 20, Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter, Rayette Cinderella Electric Hair-Setter, Clairol Kindness, and Miss Carol, it's clear that these marketing tactics reinforced beauty standards tied to femininity. These products were marketed not just as hairstyling tools, but as essential items for maintaining a woman’s appearance. They reinforced the idea that women’s worth was tied to their physical appearance, and that maintaining beauty had to be quick, easy, and constant. These ads played a significant role in shaping and reinforcing the societal pressures women faced to meet these beauty standards.

Products like the Ten-Ten Hair Setter reflected the societal change that women were experiencing. They allowed women to manage their appearance at home, offering a sense of autonomy and efficiency. The expectation to maintain beauty never disappeared, instead, it was made more convenient.