Advertising and Commercial Culture Chapter 11

“You can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements “You can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements.” — Norman Douglas

Culture Influenced by Ads Shift from agrarian, small-town life to urban, consumer-driven lives Promotes and sustains capitalist economic system Influences our desires and needs as consumers Pays for the mass media industries

History Advertising used in antiquity First newspaper ads in America, 1704 Most U.S. magazines advertising by mid-1800s N. W. Ayer the first U.S. ad agency Established in 1875 Space broker for newspapers Wrote, produced, and placed ads

“The American apparatus of advertising is something unique in history… “The American apparatus of advertising is something unique in history….It is like a grotesque, smirking gargoyle.” —James Rorty

Advertising Proves Worthy Advertising helped sell products quickly after the Industrial Revolution. Helped manufacturers guarantee prices on products sold to retailers Built “brand recognition” Packaging Created demand for branded, “quality” goods

Medicine and Department Stores By 1900 half the ads were for patent medicines or department stores. Many patent medicines were dangerous and/or frauds. Problem led to advertising self-policing. FDA created in 1906 Advertising eats the “newshole.” Today more than 60 percent of the space in large daily papers is consumed by ads.

Subliminal Advertising Term coined in 1950s Hidden or disguised visual messages Fool people into buying products Few examples actually exist. “Drink Coca-Cola” in frames of movies Sexual activity in liquor ads No more effective than regular ads

Regulation Better Business Bureau Audit Bureau of Circulation So publishers don’t lie to advertisers about their numbers Four “A”s Self-regulation FTC If advertising lies about product FCC If broadcast lies about product Postal Inspector Mail fraud Others E.g., each state’s agencies

The Power of Mega-Agencies “Besides dominating commercial speech, a $500-billion-a-year industry, these four companies… — ...Omnicom…Interpublic…WPP…and… Publicis — also hold incredible sway over the media.” —Stuart Elliot

Market Research “assesses the behaviors and attitudes of consumers toward particular products” Demographics Psychographics Focus groups Values and Lifestyles (VALS) Auto industry uses heavily See chart on p. 400

Ad Agency Structure Market research Creative development Media selection Media buyers: choose and purchase the types of media best suited to carry a client’s ad and reach the target audience Account services Account executives: responsible for bringing in new business and managing the accounts of established clients

Persuasive Techniques in Advertising Famous-person testimonial Charlton Heston for the NRA Plain folks Volkswagen Snob appeal Bentley Bandwagon Everyone does it Hidden fear Home security products Irritation Jerky camera

Association Principle Product associated with some cultural icon or value Used in most consumer ads Disassociation corollary: Responding to consumer backlash, major corporations present products as though from smaller, independent companies, i.e. Saturn.

Questioning Advertising The Truth, a national youth smoking prevention campaign, works to deconstruct the images that have long been associated with cigarette ads. Recognized by 80% of teens in 2006 Ranked in the Top 10 “most memorable teen brands”

Advertising as Myth Three common mythical elements found in many types of ads: Ministories featuring characters, settings, and plots Stories involve conflicts, pitting one set of characters or social values against another. Conflicts are negotiated or resolved by end of ad, usually by applying or purchasing product. The product and its users are the heroes.

Political Speech vs. Commercial Speech Political speech is protected under the First Amendment. Lobbying (PR) Political campaigns Commercial speech is far more proscribed by case law. Fee-based communications Intended to cause money exchange

Key Advertising Concerns Schools Health Tobacco Pharmaceuticals Alcohol Puffery Ads featuring hyperbole and exaggeration Advertisers killing news stories The end of consumer reporting? Advertising and the Internet Interstitials and Spam

Key Advertising Concerns College students targeted by alcohol ads A national study released in 2006 demonstrated that “young people who see more ads for alcoholic beverages tend to drink more.”

Product Placement Placing ads in movies, TV shows, comic books, video games Coca-Cola on American Idol Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Should the FCC mandate that the public be warned about product placement on television?

Advertising, Politics, and Democracy “The era of consumer resistance and control has begun.” —Yankelovich Partners, marketing services consultants, 2004