The efforts of Dow and other companies to diversify their business began in earnest after World War I with advertisements that emphasized peacetime uses for industrial products. One such material was Dowmetal, a lightweight alloy initially used in the aviation industry and later applied to machine parts and household appliances, such as the vacuum featured in this 1937 advertisement. By placing Dowmetal at the center of home and hearth, Dow emphasized the versatility of its brand and the company’s “ever broadening capacity” for meeting both industrial and domestic needs. While World War II shifted production away from consumer goods, Dow’s focus on the home front resumed and increased after the war.