1940s Pepsodent Tooth Powder Ad – Vintage British Smile Health Ephemera

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Item ID: 297240907041
eBay Seller ID: britishfareasttraders
eBay Store Link: View this item
Category: Collectables:Advertising Collectables:Other Advertising Collectables
Condition: In decent condition. Please check our images.

1940s Pepsodent Tooth Powder Ad – Vintage British Smile Health Ephemera

An eye-catching example of mid-century dental marketing and personal care culture, this cheerful advert captures the charm and innovation of 1940s oral hygiene branding.

Measurements: approx. 3 3/4 x 5 1/8 inches
Dates: n/a
Condition: In decent condition, please see images. 
Internal notes: QC passed

A gleaming smile, a hopeful gaze, and the simple confidence that comes from freshly cleaned teeth — welcome to the post-war optimism of 1940s Britain. â€œDo people love to see you smile?” reads the elegant headline, inviting the reader to embrace both beauty and cleanliness with the help of Pepsodent Tooth Powder. Featuring the then-famous ingredient Irium, this advertisement embodies an era when personal care was elevated to an art form, and smiles were seen as a sign of character, health, and post-war renewal.

Measuring approx. 3 3/4 x 5 1/8 inches, this well-preserved ad stands out with its illustrated glamour portrait, typographic flair, and promotional copy describing how Pepsodent “flushes stain-collecting film clean away.” These ads were more than just marketing — they were part of a wider cultural push for self-care and presentation, especially important in the post-war period when hope, recovery, and modernity were centre stage. The Pepsodent brand itself was a household name, known across the UK for its bold campaigns and promise of fresh, film-free teeth.

To own a piece like this is to preserve the everyday rituals of a generation rebuilding itself, where even toothpaste was framed with elegance and aspiration. For collectors of vintage health and beauty ephemera, advertising psychology, or British consumer culture, this item offers a rich narrative in a single striking image. It is both a visual delight and a meaningful archive of what it meant to smile in the mid-20th century.