In Chimpansen rakas, we see a man asking his housekeeper for his shaving implements. This implies that the man is going to use the razor on himself, but instead the man shaves his pet chimpanzee, who seems to enjoy the pampering. The commercial ends with a satisfied man and a contented monkey, who give each other a brief kiss on the lips.
The novelty effect of using an animal to sell a product meant for humans can be seen in other Barnängen commercials, such as Björnen med morteln (The Bear with the Mortar; 1926), in which a bear is the main attraction. Given the popularity of animal acts in variety shows, the most widespread form of mass entertainment in that era, it’s likely their inclusion in commercials was not uncommon (today, of course, shaving a monkey for advertising purposes would be regarded as verging upon animal cruelty).
The set-up in this case leads to an interesting constellation of protagonists. While the shaving cream is clearly a product for men, the act of shaving is demonstrated on a substitute. If we then read the monkey as a surrogate for the man himself, the story becomes even more peculiar. The kiss on the lips at the end between the monkey and the man is introduced with the words, “Now that you’re shaved with Parba shaving soap, Father will give you a kiss!” – which implies that hairlessness is necessary for men to be desirable. Given that the only woman in the commercial, the housekeeper who lays out the shaving materials, is not a focus of interest, this suggests that the new aesthetic bar for men is set purely at a level of self-sufficiency, divorced from the need for attracting the opposite sex.

Isabel Krek, Veronika Klubertová