Pepsi-Cola Gibson Girl Poster Advertisement

In this striking art nouveau advertisement for Pepsi-Cola, an extravagantly dressed woman lifts a glass of the beverage in an empty turn-of-the-century tap room. Surrounding the central image is a border of pink flowers on green vines, which are typical of the Art Nouveau style. The woman engages with the beverage and elevates it to a higher plane, as if she is performing a toast. The woman represents an archetype of attractiveness from this period known as the Gibson Girl. This archetype was created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson in 1900 and was used prolifically throughout early 1900s advertising and media. Her curvaceous figure and elegant hair and clothing represent the ideal woman of this period and are emblematic of the Gibson Girl style. Pepsi Cola is advertised in this poster as “delicious and healthful.” Idealized womanhood takes center stage in this advertisement, which associates the consumption of Pepsi Cola with health, glamor, and beauty.