Transcript Slide 1

Advertising and
Commercial Culture
Chapter 11
“(A)dvertising has long played a prominent role
in contemporary life….As big players like
Google take advantage of … technological
advances, the advertising business itself is
evolving. Only time will reveal what direction
this major support system for mass media
industries will take in the future.”
Culture Influenced by Ads
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Advertising comes in many forms
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Ads are often seen as intruding on life
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Classified ads to giant highway billboards
Fast-forward through TV commercials
Block pop-up ads on Web browsers
Advertising is in most media
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Economic glue that holds media together
Early History of Advertising
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Industrial Revolution
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Newspaper space brokers
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Linked villages, towns, cities together
Merchants advertised in newspapers, magazines
Bought newspaper space, sold it to merchants
First “modern” U.S. ad agency
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Established in 1869 by N. W. Ayer
Worked for advertisers not newspapers
Wrote, produced, placed ads
Early History of Advertising
(cont.)
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Retail stores
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Patent medicine
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Branding changes price-setting model
Advertisers begin developing industry codes in
reaction to public outcry over patent medicines
outrageous claims.
Department stores
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Chain stores lure away customers, fuel growth of
large-scale consumer culture
Ads Transform American
Society
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Stimulate consumer demand for more
products, creating new markets
Make people hungry for new technologies
that will make life easier and better
Influence American values, such as what
defines a “good” wife
Early Regulation Efforts
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Better Business Bureau
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Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
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Monitored deceptive advertising
Monitored ad abuses
Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)
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Monitored circulation figures to decrease fraud
Early Regulation Efforts (cont.)
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War Advertising Council
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Organized World War II bond sales, blood donor
drives, and rationing of scarce goods
Became Ad Council after war
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Produces pro bono public service announcements
National Association of Broadcasters
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Banned use of subliminal ads
Demonstrated willingness of industry to selfregulate
Subliminal Advertising
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Disguised visual messages in TV ads
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Registered in subconscious mind
Fooled people to buy unnecessary products
Banned in 1958
Research has proven them to be no more
effective than regular ads
Evolution of Advertising from
1950s to Today
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Visual design
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Becomes integral to ads beginning in 1960s
Inspired by European designers, TV, video
Ad Agencies
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Mega-agencies offer full range of services
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PR ,ads, radio and TV production.
Examples: Omnicom, WPP, and Publicis
Boutique agencies
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More personal service to limited clients, more creative
Ad Agency Structure
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Account Planning develops strategy
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Market Research assesses consumer behavior
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Creative Development is nerve center
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Teams of writers and artists create ads
Media Buying selects media for clients
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Includes demographics, psychographics, focus
groups, VALS strategy
Finds media best suited to product, consumer
Account Management brings in business
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Manage relationships with clients
Internet alters ad landscape
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Rise of Web Advertising
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How Online Ads Work
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Agencies track impressions, gather information
Mobile phones, tablets allow ads for specific locations
Advertising Invades Social Media
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Banner ads displayed on Web pages
Provide data on consumers and a venue for ads
Web Advertising’s Growing Power
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Web companies buy agencies, become brokers
Persuasive Techniques in
Advertising
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Famous-person testimonial
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Product endorsed by famous person
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Plain-folks pitch
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Product associated with simplicity
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Serena Williams spokeswoman for Nike
Example: GE “Imagination at work”
Snob appeal
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Product use will maintain or elevate status
Persuasive Techniques in
Advertising (cont.)
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Bandwagon effect
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Everyone is using the product
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Hidden-fear appeal
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Plays on consumers’ insecurity
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Example: “America’s favorite”
Example: fear of personal hygiene problems
Irritation
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Creates brand recognition by being annoying
 Example: “UNBELIEVABLE BARGAINS!”
Association Principle
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Product associated with some cultural icon or
value
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Patriotism after 9/11
“Green,” “real,” or “natural” products
The “Marlboro man”
Product sometimes linked with stereotyped
caricatures
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Men as idiots who cannot cook, do laundry
Telling Stories
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Many ads contain elements of myths
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Mini-drama featuring characters, settings,
plots
Character experiences conflict
Conflict resolved by end of ad as result of
product purchase
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Example: GEICO cavemen
Product Placement
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Placing ads in movies, TV shows, comic
books, video games
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Burger King in Iron Man
Diet Snapple on 30 Rock
Watchdog organizations calling for consumer
alerts about product placement
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FTC rejected
FCC unresponsive
Regulation Concerns
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Advertising is commercial speech
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First Amendment unclear on rights to protection
Critics demand regulation for destructive ads
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Ads for unhealthy products
Dangerous behaviors
Medications
Influence of ads unclear
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Up to 90% of new products fail despite ads
Concerns over ads persist
Targeting Children and Teens
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Children influence family spending
Children’s Television Act of 1990
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Prompted in part by Action for Children’s
Television (ACT)
Networks mandated to provide some educational
content
Hard to enforce, little impact
Ads invade schools
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Channel One and others find loopholes
Problems Blamed on Ads
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Anorexia among girls and women
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Widespread obesity in U.S.
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Ads feature unnaturally thin women
Ads hawk corn-syrup-laden soft drinks, fast food,
junk food, etc.
Smoking promotion
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Ads previously targeted kids with cartoons (Joe
Camel)
Problems Blamed on Ads (cont.)
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Drinking promotion
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Ads target minorities
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Snoop Dogg
Ads link drinking to power, romance, sexual
prowess, or athletic skill
Prescription drug promotion
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Ads market drugs directly to consumer
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Creating consumer demand
Spreading limited or false information
Watchdog Organizations
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Commercial Alert
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American Legacy Foundation
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Checks commercialism
Challenges marketing tactics allowing corporate
intrusion into civic life
The “Truth” project
FTC
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Plays investigative role in substantiating ad claims
Imposes monetary civil penalties
Advertising in a Democratic
Society
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Political Ads
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Advertising maintains its hold
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Ad techniques used to “sell” candidates
Less affluent candidates can’t compete
Issues can’t be explained in short TV
commercial
Sustains media business model
Consumers enjoy, accept advertising
We need to understand its benefits and
costs to our country