The 1950s were a period of domestic conformity; men went off to work while their wives stayed at home, raising children and keeping house. It’s no surprise that this outlook on household life is emphasized in this 1952 ad from Mr. Clean.

Except, the advertisement is not from 1952. Rather, this regressive ad came out in 2011. However, if not for the color photograph and website in the bottom left corner, this ad might as well have originated 60 years prior.

While the advertisement does establish ethos by including the logo and the smiling face of Mr. Clean, its appeals to logos and pathos miss the mark.

By employing a smiling photo of a mother and daughter, the ad attempts to draw on what may be readers’ positive memories of days spent with their moms. However, the image of two females so joyously cleaning makes it seem as though household chores should only be done by women, enforcing gender stereotypes. In this way, the ad’s appeal to pathos fails because it implies that happiness for women must include activities that fall into traditional gender roles.

In addition, the advertisement’s attempt to appeal to logos also falls flat. The phrase “This mother’s day, get back to the job that really matters” may be a logical appeal referencing spending time with one’s children, but because of the images included, it seems to imply cleaning is of the utmost importance. Even if it were assumed that the first interpretation is preferred, ideas about women as the primary caretaker are still subtly enforced.

Overall, this Mr. Clean ad serves to reinforce traditional gender roles in a way that detracts from its ability to convince readers to buy the product it advertises.