A Brief History of Advertising in America.docx

1、A Brief History of Advertising in AmericaA Brief History of Advertising in AmericaWilliam M. OBarr Long before America was colonized, commerce flourished in the Old World where various methods were used to promote trade. Notice boards placed outside houses indicated what could be had within. Wine se

2、llers gave free samples in the streets. And actors paraded in the streets attempting to entice onlookers into theatres. The idea of commerce is very old indeed, and the means of inducing others into exchange relationships was not far behind in its development.Fig. 2.1 An English Ad PromotingMigratio

3、n to America, 1609 SourceOnce transplanted, advertising eventually flourished in the United States to rival other countries in prevalence and economic importance. Although some forms radio and television commercials and Internet advertising, for example are uniquely American, the history of advertis

4、ing must begin in Europe. This unit surveys key moments in the development of modern American advertising practice. It focuses on two key themes: the development of advertising techniques, and the story encoded in advertisements about the society that produced them. This history of advertising techn

5、ique chronicles the movement from face-to-face selling messages to the stilted, repetitive, printed advertisements of early newspapers to the dynamism of mass communication by radio and television to the re-personalization of messages via cable, Internet, and direct mail. It is a story of sellers st

6、ruggling to find the best means to attract buyers, and a parallel story of the publics reception, resistance, amusement, and annoyance. The social history preserved in advertisements is like an archaeological record. It is not a simple, faithful chronology of society but an assortment of bits and pi

7、eces on which the passage of social life is inscribed. By their very nature, advertisements are fleeting and ephemeral. Once they serve their intended purpose, they are typically discarded and quickly replaced. But some ads survive, preserved in old newspapers and magazines, on wire and tape recordi

8、ngs, and in kinescopes and videotapes. These preserved advertisements can be studied in the present for what they reveal about our collective past. From them, we learn not only about the techniques of past advertising but also about the society that produced them and the lives of the people who wrot

9、e, read, and heard their messages.FYI:Wire recording (dating from the late 1800s) preceded the audio tape recorder (which became available around 1950) as a way to record speech and music. The kinescope was the first used in 1947 to record TV programs. Videotape came on the scene as a practical repl

10、acement for the kinescope in the late 1950s.1. European PrecedentsWe begin our story in the 1600s. Like the present, it was an age of globalization. A world that had seemed very grand and unknowable was being made smaller through exploration and discovery in the Elizabethan age. Sailing ships in unp

11、recedented numbers set out from London to distant ports around the world a conquest that would eventually lead to the development of the British Empire. At its height, British colonies around the world would form an empire on which, it would be said, the sun never set. This expansion included coloni

12、es in the New World that would later become the United States of America.FYI: Globalization has a very long history ever since people began crossing boundaries and making connections across long distancesThere were many reasons settlers would decide to leave home and strike out for a new life abroad

13、 religious, political, and economic being among the most important. But whatever specific reasons motivated colonial settlers, it must have required courage or desperation to give up home and family and cast your lot in an unknown land. Advertising played its role in fueling these dreams and aspirat

14、ions. To promote colonial ventures, sponsors placed ads in British newspapers: ads that promised solutions to nagging problems, ads that offered the fulfillment of dreams and the realization of hopes.FYI:British imperialism changed the world forever politically, economically, and culturally. Mercant

15、ilism was the most important motivating force in its early stages.In addition to this outward expansion, the world came to England as well. Strange, unusual, and wonderful things were brought from far away ports: spices from India, carpets from Persia, tobacco and tomatoes from the New World, porcel

16、ain from China, and coffee from Arabia. Each of these commodities had to be introduced to the consuming public and integrated into their lives and advertising was one of the means of doing so. The handbill in Figure 2 announced the availability of coffee in London in 1657. A careful reading of the t

17、ext provides a window on 17th-century advertising techniques and tells a story about the social life and cultural beliefs of the England into which coffee was introduced. The ad explains what coffee is, how it grows, and Fig. 2.2 An Early Handbill IntroducingCoffee to Londoners, 1657 SourceThe Grain

18、 or Berry called Coffee, groweth upon little Trees, only in the Deserts of Arabia. It is brought from thence. where it comes from. Most contemporary advertisements do not introduce new products but serve instead to encourage current users to continue and those who are not yet current users to purcha

19、se the advertised brand. An advertisement for coffee today might argue for the merits of the promoted brand and proclaim its excellence over the competition. In this announcement from 1657, it is generic coffee that is advertised. Brands as we know them did not exist. It would be many years before b

20、randing emerged in the marketplace. .and drunk generally throughout all the Grand Seigniors Dominions. The ad explains that the upper classes (the grand seigniors, or lords) drink coffee. Endorsement by high-status consumers is also often used in contemporary advertising, but celebrities rather than

21、 feudal lords are held up as models to emulate. It is a simple innocent thing, composed into a Drink, by being dryed in an Oven, and ground to Powder, and boiled up with Spring water, and about half a pint of it to be drunk, fasting an hour before, and not Eating an hour after, and to be taken as ho

22、t as possibly can be endured; the which will never fetch the skin off the mouth, or raise any Blisters by reason of that Heat. The long copy of the ad gives more details. Coffee is simple to make, and heres how to consume it. Do this. Dont do that. Its better hot and on an empty stomach. Except for

23、the quaint language, what is said here is hardly distinguishable from todays ads. It is easy to imagine a TV commercial for coffee moving through the similar steps: roasting the beans, grinding the coffee, adding fresh water, brewing it, and sitting down to enjoy a steaming mug of coffee. The Brazil

24、ian commercial for Nescaf coffee in Figure 3 is typical of contemporary coffee commercials. In it, two planters discuss their ideas for roasting and milling beans to make the best coffee. Meanwhile, in the kitchen a woman prepares Nescafs new toasted and milled coffee. As she serves them, the men ha

25、ve a good laugh when they discover their idea has been taken, and enjoy a pot of coffee on the verandah. The Turks drink at meals and other times, is usually Water, and their Dyet consists much of Fruit and the Crudities whereof are very much corrected by this Drink. It is observed that in Turkey, w

26、here this is generally drunk, that they are not trobled with the Stone, Gout, Dropsie, or Scurvey, and that their Skins are exceeding clear and white. The narrative moves on to reported benefits for those who already drink coffee. Turks, unlike the English, have a diet high in uncooked fruit. The ad

27、 claims that coffee will alleviate gastric discomfort, and that other problems known in England are absent among coffee-drinking Turks. In a modern advertisement, similar information might be given in the form of testimonial comments from satisfied users. The quality of this Drink is cold and Dry. I

28、t neither heats nor inflames. It closeth the Orifice of the Stomack and fortifies the heat. Its very good to help digestion. Its of great use about 3 or 4 oclock in the afternoon, as well as in the morning. It quickens the Spirits. It makes the heart Lightsome. It is good against sore Eys (better if

29、 you hold your Head over it and take in the Steem that way). It supplieth Fumes exceedingly, and therefore good against the Head-ach.It will very much stop any Defluxion of Rheums.It will prevent and help Consumption and the Cough of the Lungs.It is excellent to prevent and cure the Dropsy, Gout, an

30、d Scurvy. Coffee, like tea, in this period was thought of more medicinally than today. Indeed, it almost seems that every known malady would be alleviated by coffee. After these claims about the benefits of coffee to anyone and everyone, the advertisement moves on to target specific kinds of consume

31、rs. It is known by experience to be better then any other Drying Drink for People in years, or Children that have any running humors upon them.It is very good to prevent Mis-carryings in Child-bearing Women. And finally the claims return to the general. It is a most excellent Remedy against the Sple

32、en, Hypocondriack, Winds, or the like. It will prevent Drowsiness, and make one fit for busines, if one have occasion to Watch, and therefore you are not to Drink it after supper, unless you intend to be watchful, for it will hinder sleep 3 or 4 hours. Modern readers might be skeptical about many of these claims, but the warning about the stimulating effects of coffee works well today. Drink it to stay awake, and dont drink it if you want to sleep. And finally, the ad includes a brief warning about th