Reddy for School – Sept. 1940

Before I dismiss blog class this week, let's pay a visit to our favorite electrical sprite, Reddy Kilowatt. Reddy's here with a special back-to-school message in an ad that ran in the Lorain Journal back on Sept. 4, 1940.

Reddy's concerned about children having enough light to study by, so he was offering the services of "a competent, thoroughly trained Home Lighting Advisor" to parents.

"This young woman can tell you quickly and accurately whether or not the lamps by which your children study provide sufficient light to protect their bright, young eyes," Reddy explains.

It's not particularly difficult to see that this is a clever gimmick to get an Ohio Public Service Company representative into your home to do some selling. 

But there is some value in it. I seem to recall Mom being concerned about my siblings and me hurting our eyes when reading in insufficient light. (I also remember her telling us not to sit so close to the TV set.)

As for Reddy, you can see it's a pretty early version of him. Within ten years, he had transformed into the Reddy we know and love, judging by the two ads below that ran in the Journal in September 1950.

Sept. 8, 1950

Sept. 16, 1950