A Bacchanalia of Bacchus

Sometimes I think that my friend Lidian over at Kitchen Retro and I are in a contest for who can find the the most ridiculous piece of Vintage Advertising.  Here's one specifically for you Lidian, Bacchus Cologne from 1970.  Yes it's the secret weapon of the Roman army, by smelling like a French Whorehouse Rome was able to cower their enemies into submission with an olfactory assault that apparently brought on an orgasmic orgy of whore bathing in cheap cologne.  Men were apoplectic with joy as they doused themselves with a chemtastic chemical concoction and upon smelling the waft in the air women were overcome with sexual energy that led to an excessive amount of carnal frivolity.  Whilst the denizens of the town were reveling in wanton caresses, the Roman army was able to move in and capture the ramparts thus ending the siege... Roma Victor!

The true ridiculousness of this ad lies in the fact that it looks like a cheap movie poster for some biblical epic that Hollywood churned out in the 60's.  Indeed, that was the whole point of the exercise.  The TV ad campaign featured equally ridiculous commercials set in ancient times where Bacchus was used as a Trojan Horse to invade enemy towns.  Now I don't really know what Bacchus smelled like, nor do I want to.  With advertising this cheesy it stands to reason that the product was equally cheesy and smelled like fermented garbage. Cologne wise, nothing good came out of the 70's and all were an equally atrocious attempt to hide the odoriferous emanations of the male body caused by wearing too much polyester and sweating like a pig whilst dancing to the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive".

Of a more interesting note is the artist who was commissioned to do this ad.  It was non other than Mort Kunstler who would later gain fame and a preeminent artist of war prints, focusing on the American Civil War. 

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