The Development Of National Advertising 1865 1920

In the period between 1865 to 1920, as America shifted from a rural-farming economy to urban-manufacturing, a major transformation also occurred in the behavior of the country's consumers. This change is perhaps best illustrated in the advertisements that appeared in popular magazines. They began by simply informing consumers of the cost and availability of a product, but, by 1920, they were projecting an image that defined the American dream in terms of a consumption ethic. In this historical analysis of advertisements, James Norris explores this transformation of society and its ads, and the role that advertising played in developing a national market for consumer goods, creating demand for mass-produced items, and shifting the consumption habits of Americans. Focusing primarily on popular journals and magazines with national circulations, Norris traces how, by the 1920s, America had become a society in which consumption and spending had replaced old virtues. He examines a number of issues affecting this change, including how national markets developed, how consumers were convinced to buy products they had never seen before, what appeals manufacturers used to build markets, and how consumers were persuaded to purchase items that had previously been produced locally or in the home. Other factors that played a role in the transformation are also considered, such as the breakdown of localism, an increasingly educated citizenry, the potential for mass production, and a growth in per-capita income. Whenever possible, the advertisements themselves have been quoted and reproduced, fully illustrating Norris' premise that they are mirrors of the society that produced them. This study will be an important resource for courses in business history, economics, women's studies, and the history of advertising, as well as a valuable addition to college, university, and public libraries.

Originally published in 1985, the 52 papers that make up Forty Years an Advertising Agent set forth the inception, the development, and the growth of the art (or science) of advertising in a practical way; interesting and inspiring, the papers are an education to any beginner in advertising. The work has permanent value as a contribution to the history of American journalism, and particularly as a clear exposition of one of its comparatively little understood but most important phases.

What does advertising do? Is it the faith of a secular society? If so, why does it inspire so little devotion? Advertising, the Uneasy Persuasion is a clear-eyed account of advertising as both business and social institution. Instead of fuelling the moral indignation surrounding the industry, or feeding fantasies of powerful manipulators, Michael Schudson presents a clear assessment of advertising in its wider sociological and historical framework, persuasively concluding that advertising is not nearly as important, effective, or scientifically founded as either its advocates or its critics imagine. ‘Dispassionate, open-minded and balanced ... he conveys better than any other recent author a sense of advertising as its practitioners understand it.’ Stephen Fox, New York Times Book Review First published in 1984.

This collection of classic and contemporary articles provides context for the study of advertising by exploring the historical, economic, and ideological factors that spawned the development of a consumer culture. It begins with articles that take an institutional and historical perspective to provide background for approaching the social and ethical concerns that evolve around advertising. Subsequent sections then address the legal and economic consequences of life in a material culture; the regulation of advertising in a culture that weighs free speech against the needs of society; and the ethics of promoting materialism to consumers. The concluding section includes links to a variety of resources such as trade association codes of ethics, standards and guidelines for particular types of advertising, and information about self-regulatory organizations.

Captains of Consciousness offers a historical look at the origins of the advertising industry and consumer society at the turn of the twentieth century. For this new edition Stuart Ewen, one of our foremost interpreters of popular culture, has written a new preface that considers the continuing influence of advertising and commercialism in contemporary life. Not limiting his critique strictly to consumers and the advertising culture that serves them, he provides a fascinating history of the ways in which business has refined its search for new consumers by ingratiating itself into Americans' everyday lives. A timely and still-fascinating critique of life in a consumer culture.

Composed with a touch of the panache of a former advertising copywriter, Kelso challenges readers to reflect on the social impact of advertising from multiple angles. The book uniquely combines personal anecdotes with a penetrating look at some of the most critical perspectives toward the field advanced by media scholars. A play on David Ogilvy’s legendary Confessions of an Advertising Man, the text disrupts the creative guru’s account with a highly accessible critique of advertising suitable for classes in disciplines as various as cultural studies, marketing, media studies, political science, and sociology. The book reflects the latest industry trends, especially the migration from legacy to social media vehicles like Instagram and Snapchat. Topics covered include a brief history of modern advertising in the United States, advertising’s influence on the so-called non-advertising content of the media, the ideological themes advertising inadvertently delivers, how advertising can privilege or marginalize various social constructions of identity, the controversial practice of targeting children, and how corporations often use advertising to superficially present a positive face while masking their profoundly darker sides. Incorporating a media-literacy approach, Kelso also offers an insider’s overview of the typical procedures advertising agencies take in strategizing, conceptualizing, and delivering campaigns.

Otiginally published in 1975. At the time that Louis Galambos published The Public Image of Big Business in America in 1975, America had matured into a bureaucratic state. The expression of the military-industrial complex and big business grew so pervasive that the postwar United States was defined in large part by its citizens' participation in large-scale organizational structures. Noticing this development, Galambos maintains that the "single most significant phenomenon in modern American history is the emergence of giant, complex organizations." Today, bureaucratic organizations influence the day-to-day lives of most Americans—they gather taxes, regulate businesses, provide services, administer welfare, provide education, and on and on. These organizations are defined by their hierarchical structure in which the power of decision-making is allotted according to abstract rules that create impersonal scenarios. Bureaucracies have developed as a result of technological changes in the second half of the nineteenth century. Based on the premise that these structures had a stronger influence on modern America than any other single phenomenon, this book explores the public's response to the growth of the power and influence of bureaucracy from the years 1880 through 1930. What results is an examination of the social perception of bureaucracy and the development of bureaucratic culture.

Routledge Library Editions: Advertising brings together as one set, or individual volumes, a series of previously out-of-print classics from a variety of academic imprints. With titles as varied as Advertising and Psychology, Advertising in the 21st Century, Outdoor Advertising and The Economics of Advertising, this set provides in one place a wealth of important reference sources from a wide range of authors expert in the field.