This television ad for the Australian version of Cosmopolitan builds on the magazine brand’s risqué reputation. Cosmopolitan (colloquially known as Cosmo) was aimed at the single modern woman and often addressed lifestyle topics then considered taboo. Sex advice and sensual imagery of male models and celebrities were staples – including an infamous nude centrefold of Burt Reynolds in a 1972 US edition.

True to Cosmo’s name, this ad for the December 1982 issue is a snapshot of aspirational city living. Slideshow images depict the Italian coast, maximalist ‘80s fashions and a muscular man in a pool, accompanied by text relating to materialism and the ‘male sex drive’.

There’s a local cadence to the advertising which speaks to the more laidback bent of Australian humour. The comical voice-over narration at times adopts a self-deprecating tone towards the magazine’s topics.

Cosmopolitan was launched in the US in 1886. It developed its contemporary identity in the 1960s under the guidance of editor-in-chief and feminist Helen Gurley Brown, who championed women’s empowerment.

Launched in 1973, the Australian edition was one of more than 60 international versions. Shut down in 2018, it relaunched in 2024 before folding the following year. This excerpt is also an example of the once-commonplace practice of advertising magazines on TV, complete with a catchy jingle.