Chapter 11
ADVERTISING
and
Commercial Culture
Some guiding questions
How did advertising develop?
How did advertising help transform
America into a consumer society?
What are some persuasive
advertising techniques?
What is the role of advertising in a
democratic society?
ADVERTISING IS
PERVASIVE
Has American life
become too
commercialized?
What do you think?
What has been the
CULTURAL and SOCIAL
IMPACT of advertising
on
20th-century American
society?
Social and Cultural
Transformations
shift from agrarian, small-town life to
urban, consumer-driven lives
associated with capitalist economic
system
both creates and satisfies our desires
and needs as consumers
undergirds all our mass media
industries
How did it come to be this
way?
Was it inevitable?
How does advertising
affect our lives?
“Ads are the economic glue
that holds the media
together.”
Early Developments in
Advertising
first advertising agencies
trademarks and packaging
patent medicines and
department stores
large manufacturers
Advertising and
Social Change
How did
advertising
contribute to
major social
changes in
America?
Role of advertising in social change
influenced shift to consumer-driven
society
promoted technological advances
encouraged economic growth by
increasing sales
recognized women as primary
decision-makers about consuming
Early regulation of advertising
Better Business Bureau (1913)
Audit Bureau of Circulation
(1914)
Federal Trade Commission (1914)
American Association of
Advertising Agencies (1917)
AMERICAN
ADVERTISING TODAY
early ads were slogan-driven,
oriented around words
growing influence of visual
design
What advertisements do
you feel are memorable
and effective?
The Mega-Agency in
Advertising
worldwide regional offices
provide advertising and PR
services
often have radio and TV production
studios
What are some concerns about the
power of mega-agencies?
STRUCTURE OF AD
AGENCIES
MARKET RESEARCH
CREATIVE
DEVELOPMENT
MEDIA SELECTION
ACCOUNT SERVICES
Market Research
Demographics
Psychographics
Values and
Lifestyles (VALS)
CREATIVE
DEVELOPMENT of ADS
ads as a commercial
art form
writers and artists
scripts, storyboards,
graphics, music,
images
PERSUASIVE
TECHNIQUES
in
ADVERTISIN
G
Conventional Persuasive
Strategies
famous-person
testimonial
plain-folks pitch
snob-appeal approach
bandwagon effect
hidden-fear appeal
irritation advertising
The ASSOCIATION Principle
to associate a product
with a cultural value or
image that has a
positive connotation
opposite principle: the
DISSOCIATION strategy
MYTH ANALYSIS
Myth analysis provides
insights into how ads
“tell stories” that are
important to our
society
Common mythical elements
ads as mini-NARRATIVES, with
characters, settings and plots
plots involve CONFLICT between
characters or social values
conflicts are negotiated or
RESOLVED by using or purchasing
the advertised product
COMMERCIAL SPEECH
and the REGULATION of
ADVERTISING
Does the First Amendment
apply to commercial
speech -- that is, any print
or broadcast expression for
which a fee is charged?
CRITICAL ISSUES IN
ADVERTISING
Children and
Advertising
Advertising in Schools
Health and
Advertising
Do YOU think there
should be
regulations placed
on advertising?
Who regulates or monitors
advertising? Who protects
the consumer?
State and federal legislation
Oversight “watchdog”
agencies
Professional organizations
Advertising and the Internet
banner ads
paid positive reviews, weighted
search engine results
affiliate referrals (links)
direct marketing based upon
personal data collected on web
sites
ADVERTISING AND
DEMOCRACY
What are some major
issues in political
advertising?
What role does, and
should, advertising
play in a democratic
society?