Soapies come clean Soap operas originated in the US where the daytime drama was interspersed with advertisements for soap powder specifically aimed at the female audience. At the beginning of the soapie, viewers get a big grab of the drama and storyline without advertisements, then the ads are introduced when viewers are hooked. At the end of the program there s a burst of ads. Shampoo, car and fast-food ads are the most common advertisements during soaps. American soaps feature rich and glamorous adults.
British soaps have working-class characters.
Australian soaps feature middle-class characters, most of whom are young.