Ad: Botot & Co.

1929 Botot

I usually shy away from collecting vintage French Ads because of this.  Nothing says WTF like a creepy pilgrim trying to sell you toothpaste and mouthwash.  It's hard enough to get kids to brush their teeth without scaring the hell out of them.  Since this ad is from the late 1920's and well after the ban on Absinthe production in France I can't blame over consumption of the liquor on the apparent psychotic episode that the artist was having when he drew this ad.  Even more surprising is that Botot approved the ad.  After looking at this ad I can see why the pilgrims were kicked out of Europe an came to America, they were seriously creepy.

So what is Botot anyway?  Well I grabbed this ad, besides the obvious comedic value, because I use Eau du Botot mouthwash.  It's a mouthwash concentrate that was originally made for King Louis XIV.  It contains various rubifaescient herbs (promote blood flow for healthy gums) along with Gillyflower.  Now don't confuse this with Gillyweed from Harry Potter, drinking this won't make you sprout gills on your neck and allow you to breathe underwater.  Gillyflower is broad European term for various flowering plants in the Dinathus Family including Wallflower and Carnations.  In this sense it adds a scent to the concentrated mouthwash.  To use it you add a few drops to warm water and swish and gargle as normal.  No alcohol burn and leaves a fresh clean taste in your mouth.  If you're interested in trying out Shoebox Shave Shop has some for sale, the price is steep but remember, it's a concentrate and will outlast 4 bottles of Listerine.

Tweet