A century after the Fony Flu ad, companies hype the suspicious Covid cure

In the wake of the pandemic, a series of advertisements promised suspicious cures in the form of lozenges, tonics, candies, hematopoietic devices, and antiseptic shields used during kissing.

It was during 1918 Outbreak of influenza It eventually claimed the lives of an estimated 50 million people, including 675,000 in the United States.

It hasn’t changed much over a century.Advertising to advertise Unproven miracle cure It targets people trying to avoid the coronavirus pandemic, such as IVs, ozone therapy, and immune-boosting music.

“History is recurring,” said Roi Mandel, head of research for the ancestral website MyHeritage. The site has recently unearthed and compared pandemic ads that have been published across generations. “A lot of things are exactly the same, after so much progress in science and 102 years later.”

This year, the company with a California address KratomHerbal extracts of concern from Regulatory authority And Health expert, With the promise that it may “repell the coronavirus”. The Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to the company in May.

The claim is that the 1918 ad Dr. Pierce’s soothing pellets Tablets made from “Mayapple, aloe leaves, jalap” promised to provide protection “against the deadly attack of the Spanish flu”.

Included other anti-influenza products from that time Cin-u-form troche, Carotab laxative, Hudson Iron and Nax Tonic, Anti-camnia tablets, Peptmangane Blood Builder And Treatment Made with “hypophosphate syrup, cod liver oil extract, malt, iron, wine, wild cherry bark”.

Another remedy ad, Noufer’s lung tonicAmplified fear of influenza by pointing out that pandemic casualties were “more than double the casualties of war.”Perna, a drug that later became widespread Synonymous with quackPromoted himself, claiming “there is nothing better” to “prevent the Spanish flu”.

Jason P. Chambers, an associate professor of advertising at the University of Illinois, said: “Human beings haven’t changed much.” We want to believe that we can find lies smarter, but our advertising ability to maintain that credible veneer has become more sophisticated over time. I did. “

Daily necessities were billed as a dietary supplement. Horlick’s advertised malted milk products as “a diet during and after the flu” and was “approved by doctors around the world.” NB Long & Son urged customers to “fight against the flu with a delicious meal,” including sowing raisins. “One of the best precautions to prevent the” flu “is to wear warm underwear,” said the Mottman Mercantile Company.

There were also inconsistencies, such as a screen fixed to a sterling silver handle like a miniature tennis racket that acted as a shield between lovers’ lips. An ad for this product told potential customers, “You can kiss your female friend and you don’t have to worry about bacteria.” There was also a Branston violet ozone generator. It was sold with the promise of “keeping the nasal passages, throat and lungs completely disinfected.”

Advertising regulation was just beginning in 1918. The Federal Trade Commission, which cracks down on unfair or deceptive marketing, has been open for less than three years. More than a decade after being a journalist, companies could still claim to be science-backed with minimal evidence. Samuel Hopkins Adams We have shown that popular drugs are made primarily of alcohol, often with deadly toxins.

At the same time, advertising is gaining momentum, accounting for more than 66% of newspaper revenue in 1920, up from 44% in 1880. Over the same period, advertising revenue surged from $ 30 million to $ 850 million.Include Marketing History Research Journal..

Since then, advertising has become a global business worth hundreds of billions of dollars. However, regulators are struggling to catch up with deceptive advertisers, who are often small businesses that quickly make sales before they suddenly disappear, said American University’s marketing professor and FTC. Longtime adviser Manoj Hastak said.

“I don’t know if there is a clear feeling that this will be even better when the next pandemic occurs,” he said. “Companies are just selling the same old fake in new packages, and the number of cases continues to grow. Regulations have improved, but the process is still quite slow and the budget is pretty thin. It’s a bit of a mole-slap problem. is.”

In recent years, the proliferation of digital advertising has increased the space for advertising on more platforms, allowing you to switch between ads in seconds. However, as printed matter, television broadcasts, and other traditional media strengthened advertising protocols, online advertisers began to rely on automated auctions rather than human gatekeepers for placement.

Readers who laugh at the 1918 quack ad example and find it quaint should be aware that many of the 2020 examples are so ridiculous. They include music medicine marketing, compact disc Plays “Frequencies specially prescribed to help boost the immune system and weaken the virus”, and Eco Air Doctor, Clip-on device Releases chlorine dioxide gas. Manufacturers of both products dozens Of the receiving company warning The FTC has told me to stop treating or claiming that it will help treat the coronavirus.

As Americans begin to receive coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, authorities are worried that misleading ads could complicate deployment. Fuel skepticism About treatment. Facebook said so Block ads Promoted the sale or rapid access of the Covid-19 vaccine. twitter And YouTube Banned content featuring unproven claims about vaccines.

However, algorithms aimed at serving ads based on existing interests will continue to deliver problematic content to those who tend to believe it, said Court Avenue CEO of digital growth agency. Said Michael Stich.

“There is no public broadcasting system on the Internet,” he said. “I’m afraid that depending on how we’re incorporating information now, the circles we choose to spend time with have a common baseline of what the” truth “is. Is that there is no. “