A Brief History of Advertising in America文档格式.docx
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Oncetransplanted,advertisingeventuallyflourishedintheUnitedStatestorivalothercountriesinprevalenceandeconomicimportance.Althoughsomeforms—radioandtelevisioncommercialsandInternetadvertising,forexample—areuniquelyAmerican,thehistoryofadvertisingmustbegininEurope.
ThisunitsurveyskeymomentsinthedevelopmentofmodernAmericanadvertisingpractice.Itfocusesontwokeythemes:
thedevelopmentofadvertisingtechniques,andthestoryencodedinadvertisementsaboutthesocietythatproducedthem.
Thishistoryofadvertisingtechniquechroniclesthemovementfromface-to-facesellingmessagestothestilted,repetitive,printedadvertisementsofearlynewspaperstothedynamismofmasscommunicationbyradioandtelevisiontothere-personalizationofmessagesviacable,Internet,anddirectmail.Itisastoryofsellersstrugglingtofindthebestmeanstoattractbuyers,andaparallelstoryofthepublic'
sreception,resistance,amusement,andannoyance.
Thesocialhistorypreservedinadvertisementsislikeanarchaeologicalrecord.Itisnotasimple,faithfulchronologyofsocietybutanassortmentofbitsandpiecesonwhichthepassageofsociallifeisinscribed.Bytheirverynature,advertisementsarefleetingandephemeral.Oncetheyservetheirintendedpurpose,theyaretypicallydiscardedandquicklyreplaced.Butsomeadssurvive,preservedinoldnewspapersandmagazines,onwireandtaperecordings,andinkinescopesandvideotapes.Thesepreservedadvertisementscanbestudiedinthepresentforwhattheyrevealaboutourcollectivepast.Fromthem,welearnnotonlyaboutthetechniquesofpastadvertisingbutalsoaboutthesocietythatproducedthemandthelivesofthepeoplewhowrote,read,andheardtheirmessages.
FYI:
Wirerecording(datingfromthelate1800s)precededtheaudiotaperecorder(whichbecameavailablearound1950)asawaytorecordspeechandmusic.Thekinescopewasthefirstusedin1947torecordTVprograms.Videotapecameonthesceneasapracticalreplacementforthekinescopeinthelate1950s.
1.EuropeanPrecedents
Webeginourstoryinthe1600s.Likethepresent,itwasanageofglobalization.AworldthathadseemedverygrandandunknowablewasbeingmadesmallerthroughexplorationanddiscoveryintheElizabethanage.SailingshipsinunprecedentednumberssetoutfromLondontodistantportsaroundtheworld—aconquestthatwouldeventuallyleadtothedevelopmentoftheBritishEmpire.Atitsheight,Britishcoloniesaroundtheworldwouldformanempireonwhich,itwouldbesaid,thesunneverset.ThisexpansionincludedcoloniesintheNewWorldthatwouldlaterbecometheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Globalizationhasaverylonghistory—eversincepeoplebegancrossingboundariesandmakingconnectionsacrosslongdistances
Thereweremanyreasonssettlerswoulddecidetoleavehomeandstrikeoutforanewlifeabroad—religious,political,andeconomicbeingamongthemostimportant.Butwhateverspecificreasonsmotivatedcolonialsettlers,itmusthaverequiredcourageordesperationtogiveuphomeandfamilyandcastyourlotinanunknownland.Advertisingplayeditsroleinfuelingthesedreamsandaspirations.Topromotecolonialventures,sponsorsplacedadsinBritishnewspapers:
adsthatpromisedsolutionstonaggingproblems,adsthatofferedthefulfillmentofdreamsandtherealizationofhopes.
Britishimperialismchangedtheworldforeverpolitically,economically,andculturally.Mercantilismwasthemostimportantmotivatingforceinitsearlystages.
Inadditiontothisoutwardexpansion,theworldcametoEnglandaswell.Strange,unusual,andwonderfulthingswerebroughtfromfarawayports:
spicesfromIndia,carpetsfromPersia,tobaccoandtomatoesfromtheNewWorld,porcelainfromChina,andcoffeefromArabia.Eachofthesecommoditieshadtobeintroducedtotheconsumingpublicandintegratedintotheirlives—andadvertisingwasoneofthemeansofdoingso.ThehandbillinFigure2announcedtheavailabilityofcoffeeinLondonin1657.
Acarefulreadingofthetextprovidesawindowon17th-centuryadvertisingtechniquesandtellsastoryaboutthesociallifeandculturalbeliefsoftheEnglandintowhichcoffeewasintroduced.Theadexplainswhatcoffeeis,howitgrows,and
Fig.2.2AnEarlyHandbillIntroducing
CoffeetoLondoners,1657[Source]
TheGrainorBerrycalledCoffee,growethuponlittleTrees,onlyintheDesertsofArabia.Itisbroughtfromthence...
whereitcomesfrom.Mostcontemporaryadvertisementsdonotintroducenewproductsbutserveinsteadtoencouragecurrentuserstocontinueandthosewhoarenotyetcurrentuserstopurchasetheadvertisedbrand.Anadvertisementforcoffeetodaymightargueforthemeritsofthepromotedbrandandproclaimitsexcellenceoverthecompetition.Inthisannouncementfrom1657,itisgenericcoffeethatisadvertised.Brandsasweknowthemdidnotexist.Itwouldbemanyyearsbeforebrandingemergedinthemarketplace.
...anddrunkgenerallythroughoutalltheGrandSeigniorsDominions.
Theadexplainsthattheupperclasses(thegrandseigniors,orlords)drinkcoffee.Endorsementbyhigh-statusconsumersisalsooftenusedincontemporaryadvertising,butcelebritiesratherthanfeudallordsareheldupasmodelstoemulate.
Itisasimpleinnocentthing,composedintoaDrink,bybeingdryedinanOven,andgroundtoPowder,andboiledupwithSpringwater,andabouthalfapintofittobedrunk,fastinganhourbefore,andnotEatinganhourafter,andtobetakenashotaspossiblycanbeendured;
thewhichwillneverfetchtheskinoffthemouth,orraiseanyBlistersbyreasonofthatHeat.
Thelongcopyoftheadgivesmoredetails.Coffeeissimpletomake,andhere'
showtoconsumeit.Dothis.Don'
tdothat.It'
sbetterhotandonanemptystomach.Exceptforthequaintlanguage,whatissaidhereishardlydistinguishablefromtoday'
sads.ItiseasytoimagineaTVcommercialforcoffeemovingthroughthesimilarsteps:
roastingthebeans,grindingthecoffee,addingfreshwater,brewingit,andsittingdowntoenjoyasteamingmugofcoffee.TheBraziliancommercialforNescafé
coffeeinFigure3istypicalofcontemporarycoffeecommercials.Init,twoplantersdiscusstheirideasforroastingandmillingbeanstomakethebestcoffee.Meanwhile,inthekitchenawomanpreparesNescafé
'
snewtoastedandmilledcoffee.Assheservesthem,themenhaveagoodlaughwhentheydiscovertheirideahasbeentaken,andenjoyapotofcoffeeontheverandah.
TheTurks'
drinkatmealsandothertimes,isusuallyWater,andtheirDyetconsistsmuchofFruitandtheCruditieswhereofareverymuchcorrectedbythisDrink....ItisobservedthatinTurkey,wherethisisgenerallydrunk,thattheyarenottrobledwiththeStone,Gout,Dropsie,orScurvey,andthattheirSkinsareexceedingclearandwhite.
Thenarrativemovesontoreportedbenefitsforthosewhoalreadydrinkcoffee.Turks,unliketheEnglish,haveadiethighinuncookedfruit.Theadclaimsthatcoffeewillalleviategastricdiscomfort,andthatotherproblemsknowninEnglandareabsentamongcoffee-drinkingTurks.Inamodernadvertisement,similarinformationmightbegivenintheformoftestimonialcommentsfromsatisfiedusers.
ThequalityofthisDrinkiscoldandDry...
Itneitherheatsnorinflames...
ItcloseththeOrificeoftheStomackandfortifiestheheat...
It'
sverygoodtohelpdigestion...
sofgreatuseabout3or4o'
clockintheafternoon,aswellasinthemorning...
ItquickenstheSpirits...
ItmakestheheartLightsome...
ItisgoodagainstsoreEys(betterifyouholdyourHeadoveritandtakeintheSteemthatway)...
ItsuppliethFumesexceedingly,andthereforegoodagainsttheHead-ach...
ItwillverymuchstopanyDefluxionofRheums...
ItwillpreventandhelpConsumptionandtheCoughoftheLungs...
ItisexcellenttopreventandcuretheDropsy,Gout,andScurvy...
Coffee,liketea,inthisperiodwasthoughtofmoremedicinallythantoday.Indeed,italmostseemsthateveryknownmaladywouldbealleviatedbycoffee.Aftertheseclaimsaboutthebenefitsofcoffeetoanyoneandeveryone,theadvertisementmovesontotargetspecifickindsofconsumers.
ItisknownbyexperiencetobebetterthenanyotherDryingDrinkforPeopleinyears,orChildrenthathaveanyrunninghumorsuponthem...ItisverygoodtopreventMis-carryingsinChild-bearingWomen...
Andfinallytheclaimsreturntothegeneral.
ItisamostexcellentRemedyagainsttheSpleen,Hypocondriack,Winds,orthelike.
ItwillpreventDrowsiness,andmakeonefitforbusines,ifonehaveoccasiontoWatch,andthereforeyouarenottoDrinkitaftersupper,unlessyouintendtobewatchful,foritwillhindersleep3or4hours.
Modernreadersmightbeskepticalaboutmanyoftheseclaims,butthewarningaboutthestimulatingeffectsofcoffeeworkswelltoday."
Drinkittostayawake,anddon'
tdrinkitifyouwanttosleep."
Andfinally,theadincludesabriefwarningaboutth