Advertising in the 1920's

Being an English communications major with a concentration in advertising, I was always intrigued by trends in the advertising world. I also found myself struggling with many ethical questions attached to a career in advertising. Upon hearing my area of study, many will respond, “You know all advertising is immoral. I hope you’re ready to lie for a career, because that’s pretty much what you’re going to be doing.” Lets just say these encounters are usually a little awkward, ending with me smiling politely (or at least trying to) while quickly scanning the premises for the nearest exit.

Being constantly questioned about my career choice, I began to wonder, how did American culture become a place where consumerism is rampant and advertising is a five hundred billion dollar industry?

Although the concept of advertising has pretty much always existed in some form or another, during the course of this class, I learned that modern advertising found its roots in the early 19^th and 20^th centuries, developing with the rise of mass production. The “wild, tumultuous era”, as it is described in Only Yesterday, of the roaring twenties necessitated a new kind of advertising that reflected an era permeated with the values of pleasure seeking, frivolity and obsession with youth.

In the 1920’s, society tended to “baby” adults. The use of cartoons to communicate, the “faddishness” of the popular songs of the era, society’s obsession with youth, women’s girlish desire to have flat chests and men’s boyish desire to be obsessive about sports, all contributed to the infantilization of American consumerism, a recurring theme in 1920’s advertisements.

In order for any advertisement to be successful, it must reflect the values of the time. An example of one such product whose 1920’s advertising campaign reflected a shift in societal values, is Coca-Cola. Coca Cola’s ability to identify important changes in the wants and needs of society has made it one of the largest and most visible companies in the world. When first introduced in the 1880’s, the product was marketed as having medicinal qualities, beneficial to a person’s general health and well-being. In the 1880’s, this kind of advertisement sold. In the 1920’s, not so much.

In a time of excess, people wanted excess. The American people weren’t interested in a drink that kept them healthy; they were interested in a drink they could enjoy. Seeking to please the consumers, Coca-Cola changed its technique in the 20’s, marketing the drink as a “refreshment” (as it is still known to be today) and a “fun food.”

The advertisements and mass consumer culture of the 1920’s reflected a shift in values, such as a strong emphasis on personal pleasure, leisure activities and entertainment, that remain central themes in American society even today.

How do today’s advertisements differ from those of the 1920’s? What do you think the trends in advertising are today? What modern societal values are reflected in the advertising of today? Do advertisements create the values of a generation or do societal values influence the advertisements? If you ask me, maybe it's a little bit of both.