I Dreamed I Went Shopping in My Maidenform Bra
Maidenform1949
I Dreamed I Went Shopping in My Maidenform Bra is a 1949 magazine advertising campaign for Maidenform, created by Norman, Craig & Kummel.
Why it works
A woman stands in a shop, impeccably dressed except that above the waist she wears only her bra: "I dreamed I went shopping in my Maidenform bra." Written by a woman copywriter at the agency now known as Norman, Craig & Kummel, the 1949 ad drew little enthusiasm at first, even from Maidenform's Ida Rosenthal, then caught fire despite complaints that it was risqué. The formula ran for 20 years, one of the longest-running campaigns in advertising, in more than 100 variations across over 15 national publications. Its Dreamers won elections, fought fires, served as ambassadors and posed as the Venus de Milo. It is studied for turning an unmentionable product into witty fantasy, and for its contested place in gender history: some critics read it as mocking women's ambitions, others as a proto-feminist wish. Ad Age ranked it No. 28 of the century, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History preserves the campaign in its Maidenform Collection.
Techniques
- Humour A woman dreaming she is out shopping in only her bra turns an unmentionable product into witty fantasy.
- Shock and provocation Showing underwear in a public setting is risqué enough to draw complaints, which only helps the idea catch fire.
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