ADVERTISING REWRITES HISTORY: CLEOPATRA IS PORTRAYED AS A SEDUCTIVE BEAUTY IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS, BUT IN REALITY, SHE PROBABLY HAD A PROMINENT NOSE AND CHIN

30. 7. 2026 | 9 min read More than two thousand years have passed since her death, yet she remains one of those historical figures whose image is still instantly recognisable across cultures, making her highly appealing to creatives in the advertising industry. Rather than depicting the real Egyptian ruler, advertisers draw on the image of a seductive queen surrounded by luxury, an image shaped over the centuries by Roman propaganda, art and Hollywood. Her lover Julius Caesar has also enjoyed a successful advertising career. Let us explore how television advertising transforms famous figures from antiquity into comic heroes, brand ambassadors and users of modern services.