ADVERTISING AS A SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FORCE

Objectives

nTo understand how advertising developed in the United States.

nTo understand advertising as a social and political force in America.

Advertising as a Political and Social Force

nThe Development of American Advertising

nAdvertising as a Social Force

–A Privileged Discourse

–A Culture

nAdvertising as a Political Force

–Packaging the Presidency

–TV’s 30-Second Presidency

Advertising Defined

nAdvertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor.

The Father of Advertising: P.T. Barnum

n“Advertising is like learning -- a little is a dangerous thing.”

                  P.T. Barnum

The Advertising Agency:
Four Stages of Development

n1840-1850
Newspaper agency stage

n1850-1860
Space-jobbing agency stage

n1865
Space-wholesaling agency

nLate 1860s
Advertising concession agency

1840-1850
Newspaper agency stage
Volney Palmer

–First advertising agent

–Space salesman, working as an agent for the medium, not the advertiser

–Offered free estimates, collecting 25% commission from newspapers publishing the ad

1850-1860
Space-jobbing agency stage

nSamuel Pettengill

–Offered copywriting services

–Bought space from publishers as cheaply as possible then sell it to advertisers as profitably as possible

1865
Space-wholesaling agency
George Rowell

–Bought space in bulk and sold to advertisers at a profit

–Publishers got paid regardless if ads were sold

1865
Space-wholesaling agency
Francis Wayland Ayer

–Open contract plus commission

–Represent and be paid for by the advertiser not publisher

–Contract would bind agent and advertiser for a year with agent taking a percentage of the billing

–Led to a standard 15% commission

1865
Space-wholesaling agency

 

Branding and the Role of the Agent

nManufacturers and stores seek ad agents

nSpotlight is on the ad itself, not the selection of the medium of size of advertiser’s budget

Evolution of Advertising Copywriting

Architects of Copywriting

nJohn Powers: “Plain Sell”

nEarnest Elmo Calkins: “Soft Sell”

nAlbert Lasker: “Hard Sell”

nClaude C. Hopkins: “Salesman in Print”

nStanley Resor: “Psychological Approach”

John Powers: “Plain Sell”

nApproach: “Leveling with America”

–Straightforward prose

–Simple words

–Simple sentences

John Powers: A New Selling Approach

nFree-trial use

nMoney-back guarantee

nEasy payment plans

Earnest Elmo Calkins: “Soft Sell”

nApproach: Get their attention!

–Used headlines, illustrations, and diverse typefaces.

–Defined a complete advertisement as one with text and design.

“The Soft Sell”

nThe “look” of the ad is supreme.

nHired the best artists.

n“Beauty has economic value.”

J. Walter Thompson

Albert Lasker: “Hard Sell:

nApproach: Persuade

–From J.E. Kennedy school of advertising

–Give reasons why consumer should purchase product

–Copy must be persuasive and positive

Albert Lasker: “Hard Sell:

–First advertising man retained by a U.S. president

Claude C. Hopkins: “Salesmanship in Print”

nApproach: Sell product’s uniqueness

–Offer money-back guarantees if customers did not like the product.

–Developed mail-order advertising

–Tied to coupons and premiums

Claude C. Hopkins

Stanley Resor: “Psychological Approach”

nApproach: Aim at the subconscious

–Appeal to vanity, fear, and jealousy

–Use testimonials from famous people

Stanley Resor: “Psychological Approach”

nInvented diseases for his product to cure

Advertising as a Social Force

nPromoted a society of leisure

nUnified communities

–Created consumption communities which replaced ethnic bonds

nReplaced person interactions with paid “services”

nChanged the notion of work from being a source of intrinsic satisfaction to chiefly a means of earning income

Advertising as a Social Force

nSimply—

Advertising brought about the transition from the industrial culture to consumer

culture

Rosser Reeves

nFirst to apply product selling techniques to politicians

nSuccess developed the profession of media consulting

Conclusions

nAdvertising is a privileged form of discourse, once reserved for church sermons and political oratory

nAdvertising unified the nation, creating consumption communities that replaced ethnic bonds

nAdvertising created a nation of homogenized tastes

Conclusions

nAdvertising is a political force with most Americans only knowing about political candidates what they reap from campaign advertisements and commercials.