Helen Lansdowne Resor and the Woodbury Soap Campaign

In 1911, Helen Lansdowne Resor contributed to the Woodbury Soap Campaign with an ad that changed the trajectory of her career. Lansdowne Resor had some prior experience with advertising and copywriting and demonstrated much success within her jobs. In 1908, she attained the first female copywriting position at J. Walter Thompson Co., where she is promoted and moved to the agency's New York office only three years later and eventually makes her way to become Vice President and director. 

At this job, Lansdowne Resor designed a print advertisement for the Woodbury Soap Company that features a woman being touched by a man, paired by a headline which read, “A skin you love to touch.” This slogan became extremely popular from the utilization of sex appeals, which had never been done before. Though her approach was rooted in selling consumer goods, she demonstrates a push towards feminist ideals as the campaign portrays women as the central decision-makers in their lives. Through these means, the ad emphasizes women's personal agency.

Lansdowne Resor has and continues to inspire many people through her revolutionary influence in the advancement of women in the field of advertising, marketing, and design. Not only has she paved the way for women in creative careers, but she was heavily involved in the New York suffragist movement where she continually voiced support for a woman's right to vote. Through her work and achievements, she contributed greatly to the feminist movements and continues to impact creatives today.