A Brief History of Advertising in America.docx

A Brief History of Advertising in America.docx

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ABriefHistoryofAdvertisinginAmerica

ABriefHistoryofAdvertisinginAmerica

WilliamM.O'Barr

LongbeforeAmericawascolonized,commerceflourishedintheOldWorldwherevariousmethodswereusedtopromotetrade.Noticeboardsplacedoutsidehousesindicatedwhatcouldbehadwithin.Winesellersgavefreesamplesinthestreets.Andactorsparadedinthestreetsattemptingtoenticeonlookersintotheatres.Theideaofcommerceisveryoldindeed,andthemeansofinducingothersintoexchangerelationshipswasnotfarbehindinitsdevelopment.

Fig.2.1AnEnglishAdPromoting

MigrationtoAmerica,1609[Source]

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.

FYI:

Globalizationhasaverylonghistory—eversincepeoplebegancrossingboundariesandmakingconnectionsacrosslongdistances

Thereweremanyreasonssettlerswoulddecidetoleavehomeandstrikeoutforanewlifeabroad—religious,political,andeconomicbeingamongthemostimportant.Butwhateverspecificreasonsmotivatedcolonialsettlers,itmusthaverequiredcourageordesperationtogiveuphomeandfamilyandcastyourlotinanunknownland.Advertisingplayeditsroleinfuelingthesedreamsandaspirations.Topromotecolonialventures,sponsorsplacedadsinBritishnewspapers:

adsthatpromisedsolutionstonaggingproblems,adsthatofferedthefulfillmentofdreamsandtherealizationofhopes.

FYI:

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.TheBraziliancommercialforNescafécoffeeinFigure3istypicalofcontemporarycoffeecommercials.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...

It'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