A few weeks ago, on a Facebook post about Ethel and other e-names, Angel Brave left a comment about an Ethyl Corporation promotional booklet from the 1940s. Playing off the fact that Ethyl is a human name as well as a brand name, the booklet was full of names and definitions.
Her comment reminded me that I’d actually seen advertisements for that very booklet in old magazines. In fact, I was able find four full-page examples in Life.
The earliest ad (click to enlarge) featured the names Henry, Valerie, Caesar, and Jason:
The next one had Edgar, Conrad, Hortense, and Moses:
The third featured Vivian, Maxwell, Brian, and Albert:
And the final ad had Clementine, Dexter, Jasper, and Louise:
Which of these sets of names do you prefer? Why?
Sources:
- Advertisement for Ethyl Corporation. Life 19 Oct. 1942: 9.
- Advertisement for Ethyl Corporation. Life 7 Jun. 1943: 3.
- Advertisement for Ethyl Corporation. Life 19 Jul. 1943: 1.
- Advertisement for Ethyl Corporation. Life 30 Aug. 1943: 1.
- Ethyl Corporation Records – Smithsonian