History of Advertising

January-16-12 3:26 PM

According to Singer, there are 8 major periods of advertising history 1. preliterate period 2. classical period 3. classical period to the Middle Ages 4. Late Middle Ages 5. Early Mass Media Period 6. 20th Century Mass Media Period 7. Era of Electronic Advertising 8. Information Society

8 Periods of Advertising History according to Singer

1. Preliterate Period (3000-400 BC)
1200 BC: paintings or carved messages on stones - when literacy levels were low, Phenecians (drew symbols along walkways to get people's attentions - often biblical in nature) 6th Century BC: Town Criers - carrying bells to capture attention, dressed unique to be known as a trusted message deliverer, going where the people are, allowing governments to communicate with their people - town criers were considered to be one of the main source of information big impact in terms of advertising history

2. Classical Period (400 BC-100 AD)

Street Advertising: important events or services Personal 'classified' advertising Merchants using pictures/slogans to advertise their businesses, use of public walls for messages of events, "lost slaves" posters, etc.

3. Classical Middle Ages (100-1400 AD)

Creation of trademarks - by the British as a way of detecting faulty products But the town crier is still the most dominant form of advertising as in the two previous eras

4. Late Middle Ages (1400-1600)

Advertising was a large part of north american culture even before the settlers came due to the brochure which were used to sell to people the idea of moving to North America for a new life (latent&blatant lies) Gutenberg invents the Printing Press literacy and the Poster starts to replace use of town criers 1480 the first publishment - rule book for priests increased use of poster advertisements literacy starts to rise Location & Services were what advertisement was mainly used for in the first 1000 years of its history

5. Early Mass Media Period (1600-1900)

The Periodical is invented - a regularly distributed 'newspaper' that had a farther reach than the newspaper Became popular with advertisers since periodical ads had the potential to be seen regularly First newspaper advertisement in Germany - about plants, in Britain about coffee/tea, etc. , American ads appeared later, in Canada the first one was Halifax Gazette Also allowed for the printing of trademarks flourishing industrial markets

6. 20th Century Mass Media (1900-1920)

The Great Transition : allowed for better/faster printing 1908 saw institutionalization of advertising taking place 1st Canadian Journal on advertising "economic advertising" established Advertising in media becomes pervasive (assigned readings) Human insecurities surface as advertisements focus on things that weren't an issue before Codes of Ethics - efforts to outlaw ads in broadcasting, etc. in an effort to professionalize the industry Advertising and War

7. Beginning of Electronic Advertising (1920s-1980s)

When advertising began to guide the social structures we recognize today Consumerism in advertising alike to present Scientific advertising took hold: how to better understand the consumer, to affect the human psyche, the behavioural approach By 1920s all advertisement agencies used market research as a response to the above approach Began creating realistic images for people to look at (i.e. using celebrities to endorse products) By 1980s 99% households have a television

8. Information Society (~Present)

Successor to Industrial Society Creation, diffusion, use, integration, manipulation of information becomes the political/economic tool Information Technology

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 Information Technology

Three Eras of Advertising

1. Production Oriented Era
Demand exceeded supply - it would be sold as soon as it came out of production

2. Sales Oriented Era

Supply exceeded demand - marketers started trying to convince people to buy their products 19th century "buyer beware" because suppliers started telling lies as a means of selling their product (ex. "health jolting chair" 1938 - federal commission given the right to regulate advertisements to prevent deceptive claims in efforts to sell

3. Marketing Oriented Era (present)

Supply has exceeded demand completely Good advertising alone cannot capture market interest, so different methods of competing Figure out what consumer wants before production,

Ideas Behind Advertising

Hard Sell Approach : each advertisement should contain just one idea, repeat to nail into consumers Positioning Approach: how one product compared to another product, and why theirs was better (1960s, still being used) Soft Sell Approach: depends less on the product description and its function relies on emotional impact Ex. Gardasil commercial

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (not part of Singer's list) Location and service ads were the most common before, but it started shifting to promoting products Leading to 3 eras of advertising (product oriented sales oriented marketing oriented)

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Consumerism
January-16-12 5:04 PM

"We invented credit cards, suburban shopping malls, and day care just to make our consumerism more efficient. We sent our wives, husbands, children, and grandparents out to work, just to pay for all the stuff we wanted - needed - to buy"
HOW HAS CONSUMERISM CHANGED BETWEEN THE 1950s AND THE 2000s?

In the 1950s, people spent money to impress those we like and think highly of... , and money spent was EARNED - "keeping up with the Jones" 2000s using UNEARNED money to impress people we don't like/unrelated to "surpassing the Jones" :: CONSUMERISM :: The preoccupation with the acquisition of goods to satisfy needs through material things i.e. Has this become a societal problem since it has become a societal addiction to buy? Consumption showed an unsustainable pattern - spending money that was unearned, couldn't be paid back Have we developed unsustainable consumption patterns? Consumerism is the root cause of our enduring economic problems, destruction of natural resources, etc. How have we reached this point? :: CYCLE OF CONSUMERISM ::
ADVERTISEMENT PURCHASE

ALIENATION

INDEBTEDNESS

- ads are where we feel pressured to buy something, indebtedness: borrowing money to fulfill the wants, alienation - realization that purchase did not lead to happiness, but to escape, advertisement's lure works again

:: ROLE OF ADVERTISING :: For viewers to just buy, and not think about their actions Even if a specific ad fails, still encourages and promotes consumerism :: LOWER CLASS MARKETING :: Targeting consumers that are not as well off (students) who are conscious of "beating the Jones" Consumerism has led to decreased savings, consumer debt, personal bankruptcies, credit card ownership Saving rates are at record lows, :: CREATION OF THE STORE :: The invention of the store created by John Wanamaker, Marshall Fields (1870s) = beginning of shopping as a leisurely activit y Became destinations in and of themselves = for entertainment, etc.
The beginning of consumer culture 1925 - General Motors introduced yearly automobile model change, giving more choices, incentive to buy again, a perceived need to replace an "out of date" car beginnings of consumerism 1945 Post WWII led to pent up consumer energy and optimism, economic growth & 1950s, 'Diners Club' a general credit card separate from the stores created as time saving devices Consumerist Culture

1960s - the Hippie Movement: 1970s - Doubts:

Rejecting fashion and materialism, war, racism and sexism, as a political statement - advertisers began selling the 'hippie look' Can the consumerist culture last? What will happen to the environment? Became common questions asked by people 1973-4 Arab Oil Embargo, and prominent political figures warning of gas shortages Ecology started being taught in schools, environment groups formed, etc.

Jimmy Carter's Speech : criticized for overlooking the importance of consumption for the domestic economy, and also for putting the blame on American citizens, providing no solutions to the problems he addressed In contrast, Ronald Regan had contempt for reducing consumption, had disdain for environmental movement, ended up winning the election over Jimmy Carter

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1980s - Decade of Greed By the end of this decade, 33% of all personal wealth in the nation were in the 1% of all households Children & Consumerism 52% of 3 year olds and 73% of 4 year olds often or almost always asked their parents for a specific brand Companies targeting the brand loyalty of children Toys R Us : "If you own this child at an early age you can own this child for years to come" Marketing to Children: How? Disposable income of families have risen, and because parents no longer have time it leads to guilt and makes them replace it with material things What's the role children nagging their parents? 20-40% of all sales are from a child's success at nagging Persistent nagging: Importance nagging: they have to have it, or something bad is going to happen VIDEO: ADVERTISING AND THE END OF THE WORLD by Sut Jhally Asks: What does the film tell us about advertising's cultural role? How does advertising shape the stories we tell ourselves? How does it shape our behaviour, values, desires, identitites? Realities: Unsustainable future Western world's consumption of natural resources Capitalist markets How do we become happy? What is meant by a society-less world? Advertising and the Future How far into the future can we think? What lengths will we go to in order to maintain capitalist notions of consumerism?

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Video
January-23-12 10:33 AM

Advertising as "magic" - the concepts of it, where everyone appears young, transformation, instant hapiness, fantasies, etc Anthropologist would look at the similarities between consumer culture and older societies vs. Economist would see the differences consumer culture and what came before.. Economist would look at the quantitative data - what capitalism produces ("an immense accumulation of quantities") No other society can produce more than capitalism - objects are everywhere can be seen as a revolutionary society - dramatically altering the landscape of society When immense accumulation of inventory must be sold Goes through the system of production distribution consumption ADVERTISING INDUSTRY How do you get consumption into money? Consumption aspect is the problem in capitalism so they invent a new industry to deal with this Advertising industry: the dead world of things coming alive recruit the most creative ideas Today, 3600 ads per day for an average person advertisments have colonized spaces "diamonds are forever" - ad slogan from Madison Avenue in 1947 If you got an hour and a half of advertisement, it would cost more than any hollywood blockbuster film "to not be influenced by advertising would be to live outside of culture, no human being lives outside of culture" What does advertising tell us about HAPPINESS Through consumption, happiness through market success, even political freedom = choice ofconsumption, So is it true? Do we get happier as we get richer objectively? NO. Despite material wealth multiplying over the years, number of happy people same When asked what people want to be happy? It's QUALITATIVE, not material = SOCIETAL VALUES Social values > material values in happiness In the past ads talked about the properties of the objects, 1920s, shifted to the social relationships the object has Falsity of advertising is not in the appeals it makes, but in the ANSWERS it provides (i.e. we want love, and advertising points to it through objects a promise it cannot fulfill) They reflect our dreams, but also create it Advertising talks to us individually, not as a society - the good is overshadowed by self serving decisions Advertising cannot look long term and puts us in a system where we go straight for the actions, bypassing all thinking our society's resources are being depleted, and ads only exacerbate it

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Social Networking _Facebook

January-30-12 3:36 PM

Are social networking sites changing advertising? Are they changing the way we purchase? 2010 410 million active facebook users, 60% of all Americans use it, 70% for Canadians Ages 18-34, women>men in usage 46% usage increase for 35-54 year olds, 113% increase for 55+

Shifted approaches from "we talk, you listen" to "you talk, we listen" Crowdsourcing: usingthe collective to achieve a goal Consumers are no longer as passive as they used to be

Facebook
Reached 750 million users, more than half login daily Learning to sell one's self "since the introduction of social networking, we have been given the ability to be whoever we want. There are no accents, skin colors, wrinkles, or unsightly fat formations attached to our online persona, or there should not be so long as you know how to photoshop and detag." Self branding applications and quizzes, etc. to label oneself, checkins on facebook i.e. making it public where you spend your time Commodifying oneself through commercial products (ex. Playboy bunnies as accessories) - signifiers Brand relationships - ex. 'liking' company pages Creating the consumer Viral Advertising: unpaid peer to peer communication of provocative content originating from an identified sponsor using the Internet to persuade or influence an audience to pass along the content to others Approximately 60% of women gain commercial information from effects of viral advertising Results from a study on FB groups and advertising Self disclosure is what individuals verbally reveal abuot themselves to others, including thoughts, feelings and experiences Facebook group members are more likely to view Those who view advertising more positively are more likely to be okay with disclosing personal information Overall, facebook's college aged users have a favourable outlook in the media

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NOTES ON READINGS i
February-04-12 10:55 PM

Introduction.
A century ago, privileged discourse was in the form of church sermons, politics, family elders' views We have now reached a place where space left over in personal life is filled by mass media's discourses through and about objects i.e. Consider communications among persons, where people send each other "signals" to others about their attitudes, expectations, identity, values, morals, intentions, aesthetics, etc. through the things they buy, own, prefer, display, use Objects hold meanings that are more profound than its bare attributes because of "material cultures" - take the example of goods like beads invokes myths, enchantment, etc. And how gifts become symbols representing emotions... Similarities in modern consumer culture with earlier eras: material objects are produced for consumption in the marketplace to satisfy wants and to serve as a marker for self-expression (anthropological view) Economics view is that contemporary society is distinguished in their intense promotional effort Advertising is interesting because it's the contact point between commodity relations (commodity-money) and social communication (meanings of goods) "privileged" in two senses: marketplace transactions are preponderant places in life, and at the individual level, objects are everywhere Goods are now "doubly articulated" in their meanings for practical use for the consumer, but also as a promotional discourse laden product It used to be that product sales were enforced with aggressive promotional efforts, but as criticism grew, they began to focus on 1. market research, 2. product effectiveness, and this approach was called the MARKETING CONCEPT: start with what the consumer wants, design product to meet the needs Liberal conception of the marketplace meant that advertisers now focused on discovering not creating consumer needs

4Ps of marketing, product, price, promotion, place all these would work because the consumer is a rational problem solver Classic Liberal Theory: satisfaction of a want in 4 stages: recognition, search, evaluation, decision Differentiating between manipulation and persuasion "Low Involvement" purhcases: consumers are passive in purchasing, routine Notes that the least important aspect of advertising is its influence in consumer choices instead, culture Advertising occupies a special place in society because 1. state of economy is a predominant concern 2. messages about goods surround us 3. interpretation of social world is through these messages

Advertising Strategies
Utility Personification Lifestyle Idolatry: pure use values Narcissism: products are personalized and satisfaction based on personal judgment Totemism: about social groups and their activities

Product Symbols Iconology: products as embodiments of attributes of ideal social values

Demassifying

Mise-en-Scene: self construction, uniqueness, individuality

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History
February-05-12 10:55 AM

Used to be that advertising agencies only focused on "media buying" but added another function for creative service, then another for market research In market research, look at demographics, and psychological research Currently, industry is undergoing globalization Companies form international organisations - offers convenience, credibility, through one firm, achieve international ads Focus on niches that international organisations cannot Expand themselves (Cossette - Quebec based international ad firm) Death of advertising? Each media channel very specific now - all in a niche narrow target markets require unique ads for each pressure on advertising agencies Public is cynical of ads now and tune them out - need more entertainment Alternative to traditional marketing has become a focus on Public relations: better relationship/appreciation for their brand by communicating via a trusted medium Guerrilla marketing: not using mass media, instead unconventional channels to reach local audiences (viral marketing is an extreme of guerrilla marketing using personal relationships to promote product/service on a company's behalf)

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Persuasive Products
February-05-12 11:23 AM

Early advertising was considered to be more "innocent" as they relayed only information about the product Then began to stress the 'psychological utility' of products - symbolic properties 3 main elements of advertising: use of images, rhetoric, development of psychological appeals (emotions) Paper argues that everything should be looked at in context of its historical use... Advertisement, campaign, 'puff' Advertisement = to inform in context of its production - it was synonymous with 'annoucenemtn' Puffery = from its beginning was to promote Campaigns - been the core focus of industry, planned, precise, strategic nature of advertising

The IMAGE In press and poster advertising (pre 1900s) But underdeveloped because of politico-economic, technological, local instutional forces The most basic elements of image was display, layout and typography Then came stamp duty between 1700-1850s making space the scarcest resource - resulting in hard sell Also with 'agate only' - requiring uniform typography, as well as publisher views that advertising was vulgar and undignified Then 1855 complete ban of illustrations in paper, so advertisers employed unique stunts (See page 165) Earliest form of posters were called 'broadsides' - often as souvenirs of events, decorations, declarations of allegience, sometimes ads of expensive things Engraved tradecards (on wood) for company logos - to get the patronage of the wealthy - were used as a complement to other advertising forms Carnivals/Fairs 'at their first institution were intended for the more ready disposal of all kinds of merchandise' The RHETORIC Capacity to persuade rather than just inform is a prime distinguishing aspect of contemporary advertising This 'puffery' directly associated with the commodity culture of 'late capitalism' 'associative transfers' surfaced - tying together products and unrelated cultural objects Absence of imagery was compensated for by this evocative method Development of institutions for advertising led to more formalised, standardised forms of ads = 'reason-why' copies, as well as the involvement of poets/writers Growth in literature led to 'Powers method' - economical advantages emphasized The EMOTIONS Defines 20th cenutry movement from 'Unique Selling Point' to now an 'Emotional Selling Point' Based on audio-visual techniques rather than simple verbal propositions since 1980s But appeals to emotions have been around for quite some time and is not fully because of this new media having been discovered Even in earlier days, advertisers threatened with the most common method of social embarrassment in 1916, with the introduction of deodorants, the same method was applied With various companies succeeding in sales growth by tapping into the emotions of consumers, two opposing methods of promotions surfaced reason-why vs. emotion This is to say, one believes that the consumer is simply emotional and unreasonable while the other argues people arelogical and reasonable Emotions approach made use of "scientific" findings of psychology

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Consumption & Advertising

February-08-12 4:37 PM

Paradox of Consumption In contemporary society, commodification is involved in personal issues as self-esteem, emotions, values, relationships: all able to be commodified, advertised and sold Could be looked at in moral terms in its potential to be a tool for self expression, individual development, a reward for hard work vs. wasteful and greedy (taxes being seen as punishment on i.e. tobacco) So much so that economic crisis was seen as a moral deficit as people spent what was not theirs

Classical Theories on Consumption

Marxist View on Production & Consumption - Structural POV Analysis of consumption in terms of class relations 3 levels 1. Production = Consumption in the immediate sense (i.e. raw materials consumed to produce) 2. Mutual dependence: production as a means of consumption, consumption the purpose of production 3. Supply & Demand - feeding off each other Consumption is not about personal choice/tastes rather incessant production = perpetuation of worker is needed for capitalism Labour becomes a commodity Creates misconception that material goods can satisfy desires, and misunderstandings of the commodities' actual meaning a cycle of consumption to sustain capitalism i.e. think sweatshop workers who get paid $1 to consume and satisfy their wants while producing $200 products empowerment through purchases is false consciousness
Fashion & Urban Life Marxists see fashion (taste/consumption/commodities) as alienation and classical theorists false consciousness, Georg Simmel views fashion as individual expression Then consumption = process of negotiation between subjective and objective cultures (me vs. society) Satisfaction in going from individuality to conformity - imitation leads to innovation and benchmarking Consumption as the mediation between society and individual But urban life stimulates emotions excessively, leading to blas attitudes Social classes compare, imitate one another (trickle-down process elites influence the masses) Leisure Class, Gender and Conspicuous Consumption First: as with Georg Simmel, it is consumption as the social force that makes social class possible, and is the site of struggle for individualism Second: with regard to social class, it's the rise of the middle class that accompanies capitalist expansion, technological invention, mass production, etc. - the leisure class - typified by conspicuous consumption (purchases prompted by symbolic significance > material utility)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Classical Sociology of Consumption: The Limitation Points out that Simmel's view on fashion limited in its trickling-down effect (upper class affects lower class)- Could be a trickling-up effect Marx sees consumption as the oppression of the lower class - but leaves out the role of agency belonging to the working people

Cultural Capital & Social Class Pierre Bourdieu consumption as mechanism for forming identities and social status Recognizes that taste is both personal and social - taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier, and allows for recognition of social classes Cultural intermediaries: experts who give consultation to middle classes about correct styles, defining the middle classes' social role through their consumption habits 'Cultural capital' : knowledge, expertise, contacts, networks,
Feminist Critiques Three aspects: gendering products, practices and production Some advocates believe gendered consumption leads to maintenance of stereotypes, others counter that it leads to self expression and feminine consumption

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Advertising as Mass Communication Macro view: political economy Micro view: culture, identity, agency (i.e. capabilities, roles) Noting that advertisements are a financial imperative for mass communication to be possible

Ideology? Interpretation?
Marxists view ads as ideology: How? Choices in consumption leads to belief that one is free to be oneself, to project one's desires onto commodities Advertising therefore gives meaning to commodities and consumer: 'communicational warmth' - ideal object promoted for the sake of consumer The imperative of advertising is ideological : replaces morality/politics as the symbolic system of manipulation...they promote answers that aren't true solutions Mixing real and imaginary - i.e. sign-object - therefore, advertising is a system of seduction and not production Dangerous in that human emotions are being turned into symbols and narratives to be used in ads De Certeau on Agency, Interpretation and Advertising Importance of advertising derived from how consumer uses and interpret it for consumption See the separation between producers, the elite, cultural intermediaries and the masses, users, audience, readers, consumers, i.e. the weak De Certeau believes the consumer is never overpowered by symbolic jargon - they apply their own knowledge and therefore interpretation by being anti-ideological "Empowerment" of the weak = not an intention of the consumer to destroy the advertising structure, rather to manouevre through it without compromising own interests "mustn't take people for fools" Then consumption is a place where struggle over MEANING takes place

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Creating Consumers
February-08-12 7:07 PM

The economic change/restructuring has made the labouring body the desiring body Demand for goods must be created through obsolescence. This happens via 1. true innovation rendering older goods useless 2. making products designed to wear out (clothes) 3. make product into a status symbol practical value vs. status value 3 markets for chidlren 1. spending money directly 2. influencing parents' choice 3. as the future consumers Advertising in schools works because "educational context may furhter heighten credibility" [manipulation] One argues advertising can help shape values since postmodern world defines a person by leisure activities most adults agree that ads provide useful info about products Marketers go on a "coolhunt" Teenagers' consumption looking beyond the usual suspect (advertisers) and looking at 1. the teachers & public officials 2. parents: "leaving children" - letting the children go about regular activities (that they look down upon sometimes) so that the parents themselves can enjoy activities "indulging children" - parents feel guilt for not spending quality time with them so they buy them stuff "using children" - display family status "copying teenagers" - youth rules People's base of comparison for how well off they are has changed due to mass media and decline of social ties in neighborhoods they follow television - increases level of aspiration led to the unequal distribution of wealth and extensive system of consumer credit "opinion leaders" - peers that mediate influence of media to others(high school status systems)

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Kids as Future Purchasers

February-08-12 7:33 PM

Lifetime value = consumer worth over long run Customer relationship marketing - managing relationships since to retain is cheaper to attract Concept of brand loyalty is about affecting future behaviour > rewarding today's purchases The Branding Age 90% of kids ask for brands At 20 months kids will recognize some brands By the time kids enter grade 1, 100 brands in repertoire by age 10: 300-400 brands, and as adults, we carry over 1500 Brand Repertoire refers to not what we're aware of, but rather the ones we choose from - our favorites from each category The power of a brand is in its ability to provide differentiation for the consumer Kids are egocentric - "I use it therefore it is better" - formation for brand loyalty 7-14 : the age for kids that were most susceptible to the "metal bending" experiment 9 year olds especially since they have necessary logic to deal with abstract concepts and if given concrete suggestions, they'll fall for it At age 8 'tweens' start looking outside family for information, can differentiate between products and want to belong to the older world brands are a link for this - they want to fit in, not be unique By age 15, the only thing missing compared to an adult is the ability to think in abstract (includes self-reflection) 3 stages of consumer development for kidsperceptual stage (aware, but cant differentiate), analytical stage (brand aware, and want to belong), Reflective Stage (teens are skeptical and sensitive) 'cradle to grave' marketing plans to maximize returns

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I can't see clearly now

February-09-12 8:02 PM

Regulations for subliminal advertising still does not exist officially Subliminal Advertising: messages that register just below the conscious perception and can only be detected by the subconscious mind More often than not, subliminal messages are selling sex

By 1990s, split-second impressions weren't called "subliminal" anymore the term 'primes' 'visual drumbeats' were used instead For Radio programs, they were referred to as "blinks"
Research by harvard researchers found that when seniors were exposed to positive stereotypes for a split second before going on "swing time" (one foot off the ground standing), improved physical performance and positive psychological effects Also shown to change what we're willing to pay for products if people saw flashes of smiling faces, willing to pay more - this phenomenon was termed the "unconscious emotion" People tend to recall categories before actually recalling the images suggests humans are capable of recalling images before those images actually register into consciousness (i.e. they're in the back of our minds first before they surface to the flow of regular thought) The irony of government bans on tobacco advertisements is that these companies have fast forwarded to the new futuristic ways of advertising - alternative mediums EXAMPLES. Sponsoring NASCAR, they tie their brand image in with the 'risky, cool, youthful, dynamic, raciness, living on the edge' style of the sport they become one in representing a tobacco company FINDINGS. Cigarette warning labels actually activated "craving spots" - meaning direct, explicit antismoking messages encouraged smoking more than anything tobacco companies could've come upw ith Subliminal messages activated the same regions of the brain as explicit brand advertising, and even more activity for reward and craving centers during subliminal messages WHY IT WORKS. Consumers aren't consciously aware - they have their guard down for ads In tobacco industry, perhaps also because they've established strong associations

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This must be the place

February-09-12 9:10 PM

Paper argues that reason why consumers can no longer ads is because of the constant media assault + lack of originality in ads Product Integration refers to placing products within shows/movies to play a part This becomes increasingly popular as the media industry undergoes the most important shift seen in 25-30 years consumer controlled program choices, instead of progammers controlling it (i.e. skipping commercials) Neuromarketing has found that to meausre ad effectiveness, its best to measure consumers' memory - recall for products in question Example in American Idol: the constant background imagery associated with Coca-Cola actually led to viewers' memories of other brands becoming inhibited after exposure to the show ("double barreled effect") Coca-Cola was integrated fully into the narrative of the show For product placement to work, must play an integral part in the storyline in a way that makes sense

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Ads and Product Placement

February-09-12 9:43 PM

Argument FOR "super" attention falls on product, large audiences view it, "natural" placement is less irritating for consumers 3 major reasons outlined: increasing popularity, its historical foundations, benefits for advertisers BENEFITS: compensate for growing use of consumer controlled media, deliver messages when receiver's filters are off, allow development of brand image, less obtrusive, more realistic, use in media other than tv Argument AGAINST Audiences are in a receptive mode to watch films they're more vulnerable Pose as subtle dangers if the product being advertised aren't appropriate to certain viewers "advertainment" Restructured Creativity: altering the creative nature of films, narratives, etc.

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Sex & Money

February-09-12 9:51 PM

> Advertising creators use readily identifiable symbols, storylines, and cultural signifiers (items that evoke a common meaning for many people. Ex. Playboy symbol) and this includes the use of stereotypes > In a sense, sex in advertising represent the same function as use of stereotypes it's to attract attention to tell a story > 3 common promises found in sexual ads: sexual attractiveness for the consumer, likely engagement in sexual behaviour, feelings of being sexy/sensual > Sexual embeds are small forms of sexual information that are meant to be perceived only at a preconscious level > There's also the use of common objects that may connote sexual associations to the subconscious (i.e. trains, key entering lock, etc.) > According to research, the more perceptible the 'subliminal messages' are, the less convincing they become because consumers are able to make an effort to resist > This niche industry has seen many changes in its history, but its purpose remains same to manipulate feelings through sexual interest

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NOTES ON READINGS ii
April-02-12 1:10 PM

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Image based culture

April-02-12 1:11 PM

Take the example of diamonds - in 1938 NY ad agency N.W Ayers came up with the slogan "a diamond is forever" transforming it into a symbol of commitment = the impact it has today Market's "ideological tool" is advertising , and the marketplace itself is the institution that structures contemporary consumer society However, in the past - the agrarian based society (which preceded the industrial society) was influenced by family, ethnicity, community, religion. As we progressed from agrarian to industrial to consumer based society, their influntial power waned The place held by ex. Religion in public discourse became replaced by a discourse through and about objects Soon ads moved from pure text to rely on imagistic modes of representation (from 1920s) In the 1920s the marketplace faced the challenge of having to sell non-essentials, during this time color prints had surfaced 1880s-1920s ads carried 'reason why' themes, and from 1920s onwards - integration of people into ads (but they weren't "real" people as they represented certain ideals) The FORM of the ads were interesting because audiences were not completely literate in visual imagery (due to its novelty) and so had to be educated = ads functioned to sell & educate By postwar period, this 'education' was complete, and ads became more cryptic and texts ceased to explain the visuals and were there more as pieces of a puzzle
Advertising and the Good Life: Image and "reality" 'a discourse through and about objects' implies advertising not only tells us about things but also how things are life related It tells us how we can become happy = to purchase Contrary to market belief, surveys point out that it is "social life" and not "material life" that predict happiness and commodities are only weakly related to happiness Response of advertisers is this: if simple acquirement of goods does not translate into happiness for the consumer, then connect the interpretation of goods to meaning of happiness - tie together images conceived as the 'goodlife' with products Ads have become "partipulation" - consumer participates in their own manipulation because advertisers focus on existing values Image-system of advertising leads to experience of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at the same time = consumers are confused This commodity image system provides this vision of the world: self validation through what one HAS rather than who one IS being is getting defined by having Advertising as a RELIGION as commodities give identities to people, or a propaganda system for commodities Spread of Image-Based Influence on... (1) Gender Identity: actual behaviour not portrayed - only what we think, strikes at core identity, to cut through clutter - use of sexuality/ertocism (2) Electoral Politics: 'image politics' focus shifted from real issues to symbolism, became about "feeling good" about a candidate (3) Children's Play: imagination of kids become targets, becomes more imitation than creation, (4) Replacing Auditory Realms: music videos become promo strategies, no link between music and visuals,

Commodity information-system has two basic characteristics: reliance on visual modes of representation Increasing speed and rapidity of images that constitute it 'vignette approach' narrative and 'reason why' subsumed under rapid succession of lifestyle images - sell feeling rather than product This speed up was due to increased clutter, and the coming of age of a generation that grew up with television This speed up has two consequences: undivided attention,replacement of narrative/rational response for emotional response since there's no time to think but only feel There is a world of substance (material essence/real) and a world of style (appearances) - capitalism veils over substance with appearance Solution: Reconstruct meaning of the world of substance on the terrain of the iamge system Open up analysis of image-system - democratize it since currently the images we see reflect only corporates' Teach students about image production, the context of the image system - currently ads are the only images not credited

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Real beauty
April-02-12 1:10 PM

Company competitive edges have also moved to become about defining beauty Beauty prototype: ideals used to categorize people or objects - usually buitl on stereotypes Fashion models are thinner than 98% of all women Postfeminism is the belief that while feminism was needed in the past, the battle has since been won, and is feminism is no longer required Women portrayed in advertisements geared towards postfeminist women were sexy, intelligent and powerful Media's Impact on Body Image Evidence suggesting beauty products sell because they evoke negative self-images among women Criticisms - ads limit consumer's ability to think Women feel bad when they see ideal bodies, anxiety drops when they see normal people, and women engage in automatic self comparisons 42% women look at ads for beauty guidance vs 45% who look to friends Dove's campaign for real beauty Won the Effie - industry's award for effective advertisement Ulterior motive was Dove's need to rebrand itself as a 'beauty brand' 'real vs idea' route of advertising reality advertising is risky because for an ad to be effective it needs to promise change Yet criticized because in the end, they're still using slimmer people, primping them, and promising the same thing as all other products The diet industry in the U.S is worth $100 billion - maintaining a cycle of insecurity in consumers is economically crucial it seems Trend is that the average woman (becomes heavier) becomes further and further away from the ideal (which becomes thinner) - and belonging to this small demographic - the glamorous rewards are great Then what is masked in Dove's campaign is this: even if they're democratizing beauty, they rely still on messages that say transformation happens with consumption

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Advertising & Minorities

April-05-12 6:14 PM

Conflates self-esteem with conspicuous consumerism Advertising capitalizes on insecurities - but we have a love-hate relationship with it = hate the 'banality of capitulating to the superficiality of a material word' while enjoying messages of a "more" Message of advertising is all pervasive : use more, not less - even green movements, in essence are encouraging consumption Representations of minority ambiguous since advertising process is one based on image-based persuasion Until recently, belief that only 'white sells' prevented minority representations for fear of alienating the mainstream Though quantitiy of representations increased, the quality is questionable as stereotypes are still maintained Advertising must stop playing "pretend pluralism" - its commitment to diversity is superficial All advertisements must say that for every so-called need, they have a product solution Consider the distinction between manifest (articulated) and latent (unintended) functions of ads Manifest function: symbolically link consumers with the commodity - portray social values Latent function: selling of fantasies by creating discontent with the consumer's current life while glamorizing consumption as a solution to "keeping up with the Jones" Advertising then reinforces hegemonic properties and ideologies of capitalism Also very much a systemic propaganda saying: it's better to buy than not, consumerism is inevitable, buying leads to salvation (as religion), self esteem is derived from appearance, consuming is choice rather than a social process Has instilled into society the 'essential cultural nightmare' = fear of failure, envy of success Essential Components of Successful Marketing 1. Targeting Markets: aged 13-25 perceived to have money to burn, while middle aged people ignored 2. Attract Attention: pressure to stand out 3. Arousing Interest: play on audience's emotions or stimulate new needs - i.e. exploiting fears 4. Foster Images: image associations, moved from selling product to selling a lifestyle, images to condense messages, focus on images really suggests that advertising is about buying customers (rather than selling products), then advertising becomes a discourse about what the good life really is 5. Neutralize Doubts: use of celebrities, etc. or appeals to reason via use of science, tradition, etc. 6. Secure Conviction: reinforce decision via use of reassuring images (puppies), evocative symbols (natural world), or positive images (sex, celebrities, science, etc.) CRISIS. In 1980 the advertising industry faced the problem of remote control technology & excess clutter Consumers became cynical and resistant at being manipuated, minorities became edgy over misrepresentation Most challenging was: volume of ads, consumer hostility to ads, surveys indicating satisfaction doesn't come from the market, brand name recognitionhard to establish, advertising cannot offend anyone In response strategies included were: unorthodox images, "outing ads" where they insulted themselves Consider Benetton's controversial ads they prick people's conscience and use startling mechanisms - their products are geared towards the affluent, as "badge goods" - consumers put their principles into spending, says something about them 'Prisms of Whiteness' Both mainstream media and advertising depend on end consumers, but advertisers have more leeway in presenting their goods for two reasons: ads are not expected to be true to life & advertising is not regulated under same rules as news reports White no longer sells - diversity sells. People in Canada want more minorities represented, they base purchase decisions on how positively minorities are depicted in ads Ads are positioned in either 1. work settings or 2. leisure time Reading suggests we need to 'de-colonize' our thinking to break away from confines of 'white supremacy' Minority women in particular were racialized through stereotypes - denied their difference or criticized for sameness Dichotomized individuals into the 'visible' =coloured vs 'invisible' = white The shift to 'diversity sells' due to three factors then the crisis in advertising, the changes in social climate pertaining to minorities, and the growth of the ethnic market But research findings showed that advertisers were reluctant to cast minorities due to racial "uncomfortableness" = didn't want to risk offending the white customer advertisers also feel they're not knowledgeable enough to reach out and target ethnic communities Concludes that while advertisers insist on targeting two markets as "ethnic" and "white" - the reality is that the Canadian mosaic means 'ethnic' = the mainstream

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Advertising & People of Color

April-05-12 6:15 PM

Historically, people of colour were portrayed as filtered through Anglo white eyes By mid 1960s black civil rights groups protested, and in 1967 almost overnight, blacks were included in tv ads However as blacks made headway, other minority groups still ignored such that in 1970 - charges of negative stereotyping having moved onto latinos surfaced - soon complaints solved this issue But advertisers failed to apply lessons learnt to other minorities and moved onto Native Americans & Asians Integration of blacks in ads in the 1970s was socially significant because it showed that blacks could be included without triggering a white blacklash - research showed that there were no adverse effects in purchasing decisions made by whites (looked at product and ad itself) but positive effect in drawing black consumers But one research did show that darker skinned blacks in ads were less accepted than fairer skinned blacks For the most part in 1970s - blacks were portrayed only in integrated settings as part of a group But there were some other problems where if minorities who did appear were depicted in upscale settings taking it 'too far in the other direction and creating stereotypes of 'successful' ethnic members' = unrealistic It was due to business mentality that integration occurred - tried to capture the black and latino market asian americans, though more affluent were not targeted because less people, and too many diff/ languages 'Courtship' of Blacks & Latinos Part of this momentum came from 1960s civil rights movement, use of boycotts (economic leverage on social issues) and the Philadelphia Selective Patronage Program in which blacks did business with supportive companies Hard selling by specialized Black&Latino ads also had a hand in the courtship - because these minority groups favoured products that used these ads Change in thinking of marketing executives - started pushing for market segments rather than mass markets (a term which became an anachronism) - i.e. go after markets with rifles, not shotguns 1990s - corporate messages being sent out to minorities was that their products were the way to the good life in America Prestige appeals (i.e. use the same products as celebrities, affluent people, etc.) have a greater impact for those lower in the socioeconomic scale because they're especially hungry for added status Advertising a double edged sword because it expects to take more money out of a market segment than it invests to advertise in it and with minority media - they get narrowed exposure to brands, etc. They also send a message that even if these minorities cannot live as affluently as their white counterparts, at least they can consume the same products

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Current perspectives on advertising images on disability

April-07-12 1:44 PM

Disabled consumers are more brand loyal When Fuji aired an ad portraying a disabled man - criticized for their "medical model" - because of early 'faux pas' like these, still advertisers are cautious when entering this segment HISTORY First, make the distinction between community-specific campaigns vs general Whenever minorities appeal for change, they're asking for bettered portrayals within the general population In the past, most images of disability were via charity camapaigns, but changed such that they advocate better portrayal instead (Easter Seals' awards for EDI - equality, dignity, independence) Early 1980s, corporate America began recognizing the disabled consumer - response to Rehab Act of 1973 which required all federal programs to be accessible (disability rights movement began around this time also) 1970s disabled got more visible as the 'independent living movement' in which they got education, etc. progressed By 1980 - closed captioning in media began, first ad to feature disabled person was in 1984 Levi's ad, and generally, deaf & wheel-chaired people were the most popular choice when depicting the disabled By 1990s - ads with disabled people nonstigmatizing Cultural Meaning Harlan Hahn argued advertising's emphasis on bodily beauty led to exclusion of disabled - their inability to ever meet ideal standards = they become invisible But social attitudes are changing and portraying diversity on all levels = profitability, partially due to new found power of the disabled and also because general population wants to see 'real life' images

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Selling sexual subjectives

April-07-12 2:31 PM

Advertising serves two functions: to provide role models & to guide us towards purchasing Their consistent portrayals of "proper" femininity and masculinity ingrain notions of appropriate gender "correct" purchasing decisions Ad appeals to the LGBT community can be made explicity or implicity (i.e. use of 'gay window advertising' Though acknowledged as a viable market, for fear of alienating the dominant existing market, advertisers continue to be conservative result is gay window advertising Gay audience might recognize the 'gay' codes while heterosexual audience may understand these to be non-conformity, also using extremes in models - i.e. hypermasculine or effete to make appeals With gay/lesbian portrayals in ads, a 'mainstreaming effect' occurs - only those "acceptable" i.e. lipstick lesbians or the suitably masculine gay individuals are included Therefore only a 'limted victory' since more affluent portrayals may become the basis for argument that homosexuals are in fact not disadvantaged and therefore do not require any more protection
Considering Cultural Studies of Ads Problematic for textual analysis because (1) No one's really 'qualified' to decode the meaning behind it (2) we need to assume that audience will react to it a certain way (3) assumes an "ideal" consumer/audience on the receiving end These are especially ture in gay window advertising texts - there at at least two preferred readings - one for the LGBT and one for the general Consider Heterosexual Femininity Masculinity is epitomized by addressing it in conjunction with complementary representations of femininity while femininity is portrayed by comparing women against each other - not against masculinity

Conclusions Dominance of heterosexual representations means 'straight' readings are never really replaced - even by the gay community that are more inclined to 'read gay' Lesbian readings are much fewer perhaps because there's less text circulating for them, and second because gay attributions and stereotypes are more 'attractive' than lesbian stereotypes

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Advertising Women
April-08-12 9:02 PM

115 years after Stanton and Motts organized the first women's rights convention, Betty Friedan's 'The Feminine Mystique' identified the problem that has no name This referred to the 1950s conflict between the happy housewife image and her dissatisfaction with a life unfulfilled A social/cultural problem that was: portrayals of women inconsistent with actually experienced realities She observed that the power of the public image used to sell products came from the fact that women no longer knew who they were 1960s - feminist groups such as National Organisation for Women (NOW) formed and pushed for elimination of stereotypes and discovery of true identity Erving Goffman deconstructed ads and considered such images as size, feminine touch, ranking, family, ritualization of subordination (physically lowering oneself), licensed withdrawal (drifting psychologically) Until 1950s women were portrayed as housewives/mothers, 1980s depicted career women or supermoms, 1990s saw better depiction and more than one-dimensional portrayal Jill Killbourne said advertising creates problems because it corrups relationships then offers products as substitutes for the ruined connections - objectifies people and turns them into things (to be replaced) Women are twice seduced - by the ad then by the product Investigating the beauty myth: portrayed images of beauty are impossible standards, unrealistic In 1999 models weighed 23% less than average, 2003 cosmetics industry was worth $31B, diet industry $35B Three themes emerged from gender studies and advertising: Women are underrepresented Women are portrayed stereotypically Relationships between men and women depicted helped maintain traditional roles and normalize violence With the feminist criticism, product ads have moved to separate SEX from GENDER (sex is biological, gender cultural) Though the negative portrayals of women are agreed on by feminists, where they do differ is where blame is put One blames advertising for problems such as Eds, poor self esteem Others say women have the power to reject these ads (since beautifying oneself is natural and biological)

In 1960s corporations were only interested in women because they made purchases for the home (75-95% of it) Since 1970s ads moved from trying to reach out to the mass markets to now focusing on specific audiences, and from just saying what they want to to trying to communicate with their audiences
Women as Advertisers Only represent 15% of the advertising workforce Going beyond - average percentage of executives who are women - 15%, board members - 12%

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The more you subtact, the more you add

April-08-12 9:46 PM

By Jean Killbourne
Mass communication has made possible 'national peer pressure' and as such teenage women today engage in far more riskier behaviour than the prior generations There's a toxic cultural environment for girls - puts them in a 'double bind' where they are expected to just be 'nice' but eventually they have to compete with men, they're expected to sexy and virginal simultaneously Eating disorders affect every socioeconomic background Boys on the other hand live in a 'culture of cruelty' and the 'tyranny of toughness' oppress them = manifest their social/emotional disconnection through violence Girls are seen as desirable to advertisers because they're new consumers, start to have disposable income, and beginning to build brand loyalty Transformation of American belief from attaining new possibilities and transformation through hardwork - to now achieving by purchasing - but it turns out not all cultures admire body shapes and wish to emulate it More frequently girls read magazines, the more likely they were to diet Preoccupation with appearances has a toll on mental health: women score higher in 'self objectification' - viewing one's body from outside in and seeing physical attractiveness, sex appeal, measurements, weight as more central to identity rather than health, energy, fitness, etc. This leads to decreased mental performance, anxiety, depression, Eds Adolescent girls are especially vulnerable to obsession with thinness because of peer pressure and self-consciousness 40-80% of fourth graders dieting. 1/3 of twelve year olds trying to lose weight by dieting, laxatives, vomiting, etc. 63% of high schoolers. Single largest group of high school students contemplating suicide are girls who feel overweight All this because of the newest 'socially acceptable' prejudice - weightism While ads to reflect the unconscious attitudes of individual advertisers, it also reflects the 'collective unconscious' - ads create anxiety about weight deliberately because it is profitable, and perhaps on a deeper level ; men's concerns for women becoming empowered The obsession with thinness is about cutting girls and women down to size - it's a symbol, but it's very powerful Girls seem to have only two choices then - submit to 'the tyranny of nice and kind' or live impuslively - both self destructive but they were an attempt to survive

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second half
February-13-12 3:37 PM

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Video - the persuaders [PBS]

February-06-12 3:30 PM

Circle of clutter for advertisers the more messages they make, the more they have to make to break through They're competing for space - "to become the atmosphere" "should the pitch be aimed at the head, or the heart" - advertising questions Conflicting interests between the creators (artists) of the ads and commercial experts (the managers) - ad awards, portfolios vs. sales Used to just stress better/whiter, etc. but 1990s saw a turn in advertising strategies superbrands such as Nike, Starbucks started selling emotions/spiritual bonds - trenscendence Their responsibility is to maintain meaning - not just advertise the product for what it is Applying "cult-like" approaches to market the product terms used to describe products were already cult -like, so began studying what attracted people to cults "Cult-Brands" Need to belong, need to make meaning Saturn (Car company) - people are devoted, want to meet other "Saturn families" Objective of emotional branding become an invitation to an already made identity (ideals) Cut-throat economic environment for advertising agencies "love-marks" - brands that have created loyalty beyond reason (Cheerios - making stories around the product, etc.) A "Code" behind every word that relates to other concepts (example taken: smell of coffee relates somehow to mother) (former psychiatrist Rapaille) Merchandising policies, etc. by using words that elicit more positive emotions "word lab"

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Subliminal Advertising
February-13-12 3:30 PM

James Vicary coined the term 'subliminal advertising' in 1957 (after flashing 'eat popcorn' signs in a movie) claiming sales were up 57% for popcorn and 18% for coke Admitted falsely reporting 1970s Wilson Bryan Key claimed that subliminal sexual symbols/objects were used to entice consumers to buy (in his two books 'Subliminal Seduction' and 'Media Sexploitation') What do People Think? In a study from 1959, 41% of 342 respondents reported they had heard of subliminal advertising By 1993, 74% had heard of it, and 62% of these believed advertisers deliberately inserted messages to manipulate it, and 72% believed it was effective 4 Different Types of Subliminal Stimuli (Pratkanis and Greenwald) a. Subthreshold Stimuli: presented at energy levels too weak to be detected by the audience (ex, Vicary) b. Masked Stimuli: hidden to the audience by an overriding stimulus (ex, following sub.message by picture) c. Unattended Stimuli: the embedded message/point would be perceived as part of the picture (ex, a small 'dot' in an image) d. Figurally Transformed Stimuli: blurred/distorted pictures and words that are no longer unrecognizable (ex, playing tracks backwards) Examples: camel cigarettes, coke ice cubes, pepsi cans, ikea catalogue, ontario government's flick off campaign, Effectiveness Difficult to determine if subliminal effects are likely to occur because inconsistent use of term (not a standard term), lack of precise and standardized processes to try and study these in the first place, lack of understanding of unconscious in the field Subliminal Messages & Public Perceptions Why is the public fearful of subliminal messaging? Poor job of comunicating findings - research doesn't get out of the science community bubble Media popularizes pseudoscience - falsely/inaccurately reporting findings without solid empirical evidence Few practitioners use subliminal tactics

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Sex & Advertising

February-13-12 4:33 PM

CASE STUDY: CALVIN KLEIN First controversy came in a commercial filmed with brooke shields in 1981 when she was 14-15 Also criticized for glamorizing anorexia/bulimia in addition to sexually explicit ads 'child pornography' setting like ad, 'family picture' like ad for children's underwear, Controversies raised sales Public outcry over ads Brand not associated with innocence Full page ads with a lot of exposed skin Ads were not thought to be morally innocent

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Celebrities & Product Placement

February-27-12 3:18 PM

Consumers find it insulting if there's a poor message being relayed just because there's a celebrity featured in the ad

Study Findings...
that celebrity ads actually performed worse than non-celebrity ads : low effectiveness scores when celebrities were included, weren't considered a good investment, generally speaking celebrities didn't help sales Fewer than 12% exceeded a 10% lift in success (on average celebrity ads: -1.4% lift, whereas non-celebrity ads enjoyed a 8% lift)
Consumers are more likely to voice their disdain = they're more critical of celebrity ads Age of social media and consumer control has brought on a new critical thinking consumer that's not as easily won over by ads

Ineffective vs Effective Celebrity Ads

A list of worst celebrity television ads of 2010
Tiger Woods: Nike - 'Did you Learn Anything' * Lance Armstrong: Radio Shack - 'no emoticons * * discussed in class = exam

Most Effective celebrity ads

Oprah : liberty mutual * Ed burns: iShares Carl Weathers Could consumers relate?

Adly Advertising and Celebrity Tweeting

A company that works with celebrities to get them to tweet about products for Adly's business clients

Product Placements

An advertising technique used by companies to subtly promote their products through a non -traditional advertising technique, usually through appearances in film, television, or other media Agreement between manufacturer and media company 90% involve no exchange of money

Defile du 8e Batallion (1896) (The march of the batallion) - The first product placement observed - a wheelbarrow that had 'Sunlight' soap logo on it E.T and Reese's Pieces

Reasons for Product Placement

1. Realism - within a scene, etc. to represent real life 2. Profit

If people are going to believe they're inside a Canadian mall, they're not going to believe it unless there are real companies and brand names around.
A lot of our work is making sure the product sits in environments where it really belongs, that it won't insult the company
- CBC Riverdale Producer

When Product Placement goes Bad

Gerry McGuire Movie
$1.5 million was spent on product placement for this movie (total) When product placement goes bad Reebok paid for the movie to feature their commercial but the movie didn't
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Hold it Against Me - Britney Spears

didn't Ended up settling it in court for $10 million More than $500,000 spent on product placement Irrelevant products

James Bond Films At the time the film managed to acquire the largest product placement contract for $100 million for Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Die Another Day (2002) got $120 million with Ford paying $35 million of it

Presently
American Idol (208 product placements in march 2011), the Celebrity Apprentice (127 product mentions), America's Top Model and Biggest Loser (88 each) Modern family ipad commercial
Largest Product Placement in History Miners in Chile that were trapped: Oakley made a donation for $450 per miner of sunglasses as they were coming out of the mines

Ethics of Product Placement

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Advertising and 'others'

March-05-12 3:15 PM

Advertising & What's Socially Acceptable 'white sells' & 'able-ism sells' Hegemonic ideas influence advertising [hegemonic: most powerful/most dominant] How would these ideas affect representations of other groups if this is the dominant method of advertising? Representations of other groups have been absent (until recently) What were the reasons for representing white/able only while others were not present? Because they were the most 'influential' and 'affluent' perhaps Advertisements were made to be palatable/comfortable for white viewers Historical Portrayals of Visible Minorities - Aunt Jemina ad romanticizing the 'happy slave' imagery, speech bubble spelt in a way that reflects stereotypes for the way african american speak - 'these = dese'

Historical Portrays of the Differently-Abled Able-ism = discrimination against the disabled Extending the idea of 'white sells' the same would apply for able-ism sells Disabled peoples were not used for advertising; because advertisers feared the image of disability would detract attention from the selling message So disabled people were only portrayed in charity ads First ad incorporating the disabled (that was noted) was by Levi's & Mcdonald's (first tv ad)
Historical Portrayals of Sexual Minorities Rare in advertising to portray any other group than straight 'gay window advertising' - subtly having queer references within advertising that weren't overtly obvious Example; 'lipstick' t-shirt could be interpreted by straight people as just a shirt for the love of lipstick vs the 'lipstick lesbian' (outward=straight, but lesbian women) interpretation Men's magazines and subtle homoerotic images, 2+ people being featured (hegemonic view is that men should not be overly close with each other, etc) Example; Progressive Insurance Ad - one man's shirt featuring a rainbow colors, how they talk about fashion instead of something else (?) When sexual minorities are portrayed in the media, they fit mainstream ideals - example. Attractive lesbians = male fantasies, etc. Hegemony and Advertising How might hegemonic ideals influence the advertising of racial minorities, those with disabilities and LGBT populations? Hegemony and the Abject Body What is the abject body? Meant to highlight marginalized populations (LGBT, racial minorities, disabled population, etc.) - unpleasant/uncommon in main stream ideas that may be a threat to the dominant view "Being forced to view the abject body is inherently a traumatic experience" Kristava Anything but beautiful white straight bodies = abject because it's the non-hegemonic body Example: how two attractive mainstream feminine lesbians = fits in to male fantasies still, whereas to 'butch' lesbians who go against mainstream ideals of feminine principles are considered abject How does theabject body affect hegemonic ideals? "Not every person with a disability is young and beautiful and athletic, just like all women aren't size 10, and all African Americans don't have degrees from Harvard I know people with disabilities who aren't pretty. They drool. They scare the average person. So do we do more harm than good showing this cute little girl with CP?"
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this cute little girl with CP?" Further examples: PMS = a body that oozes is an abject body (feminine sanitary napkin commercials using blue liquid, etc.) General Trends Four general trends when it comes to minorities and advertising 1. Minorities as Invisible Denies their existence, devalue contributions they are making in society, their ambitions in society trampled in that these ads reinforce idea that they will never be fully accepted as a full pledged member since they're not within the hegemonic ideals - "white face of Canada" 2. Minorities as Social Problem Portraying them as a group that needs fixing, as villains, simply 'bad' or troublesome which then nds up being a way to reinforce the discrimination placed on this population. Example: Volkswagon terrorist commercial portraying the arab race 3. Minorities as Tokens As source of entertainment,"the token black man" 4. Minorities as Stereotypes i.e. if there were aboriginals being portrayed, they would have on traditional clothing, savagery, etc. It becomes a problem when one's group is portrayed in only one way then what happens when an individual does not fit that stereotype Examples: playstation ad 'white is coming' stereotype of good and bad = light and dark, Ikea ad "I think he's gay", racial stereotypes - inferior and irrelevant: example vintage Jello & the chinese baby less racism backlash for asian populations than other, Eska - use of aboriginals to reinforce 'pure water' - 'acceptable racism' for natives addressed in video problem of reinforcin existing prejudice - keep those in power in power, those without stay without, Why are people of color included in advertising aimed at mostly white people? Link product with racial stereotypes Traits included to portray certain messages that are tied with the stereotypes (i.e. black man in verizon ad for jazz, hip hop music, etc. Add 'color' or 'flavor' to the product Belle Hooks: In commodity culture - Ethnicity as 'spice' that livens up the main dish that is main culture ('Life' brand cereal; different flavored cereals portraying different ethnicities) To be 'hip, modern, progressive, global' Idea of human variation Illusion of diversity equality Benetton store; known for their shock value advertising portraying different ethnicities (even though they use sweat shop labor) Dove's campaign for real beauty: but the parent company of Dove owns Axe, SlimFast, etc. Axe commercial portraying an african american woman as sexual, uncontrallable, animalistic - but these traits find their roots to times of slavery White-Washing Making women of colour look more white 1. white beauty standards 2. avoid 'threatening' images of colour : taking women of colour and portraying them as less threatening (i.e. more white) for maintaining the white hegemony - example: Beyonce L'oreal ad Case Study: Benetton Their "reliance on minorities has helped to target an audience, attract attention, arouse interest, construct appropriate image, neutralize resistance and create conviction"
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construct appropriate image, neutralize resistance and create conviction" But they're criticized for taking advantage of the disadvantaged minority (look up Benetton ads) Is the result Pretend Pluralism? Do these advertisements actually promote inclusivity or do they really promote subtle forms of racism instead? Why are accurate portrayls important? 1. Role Models: 2. Sense of Identity: for example, if they only portray the disabled in wheel chairs, then who do other groups look up to? CONCLUDING THOUGHTS Advertisers listen to sales What keeps racist, albeit, sexist and homophobic advertisements in existence? How might we change these trends? What's our personal responsibility? = we know social media has changed the trends ; consumers are no longer quiet and companies listen Example of resistance: Nelly Furtado's 'Powerless'

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Video - Codes of Gender

March-12-12 3:57 PM

'It's Pat' shorts from Saturday Night Live as an example When we can't properly read the signals in order to categorize people as either male or femals, we stop our interactions with them Lack of this clarity in these signals Goffman's book was about how - what do ads tell us about ourselves? :: Sex & Gender :: Argues there's nothing natural about gender identity: instead a process where we learn to take on certain attributes So learn how society constructs Sex is biological then gender is cultural in categorizing 'middle sex' recognized - neither male nor female (India) Western culture operates on two sex, two gender roles The neatness of this categorization favors differences between sexes intead of similarities, and points to only one dominant way to be feminine and masculine (the cultural ideal) Gender Display: process where we perform actions expected of us Code: a hosrthand language that everyone shares - communicating larger ideas, or a set of rules - body becomes the medium through which we communicate (i.e. our walking, etc.) And until it's pointed out, we don't recognize these actions as gendering Then the most clear place to see these actions displayed is in culture = advertising = 'commercial realism' = trying to portray pictures as if they could be real (?) As depictions of reality advertisements look almost normal Goffman says that's the worst part :: The Feminine Touch :: The way hands are represented in advertisements = feminine hands portrayed as if environment controlling them (i.e. as if their hands are just resting there, outlining, cradling, etc.) vs. male touch = utilitarian, manipulating their environment, commanding, Even to 'self touching' - resting their hands on parts of their bodies to portray as delicate, etc. EXAMPLE: when putting men into the same postures that female models are placed, we're taken aback - we came to believe that men utilizing these postures are not real men even though there's no biological reasoning behind that whatsoever Ritualization of subordination: women are shown lying down more often than men = the benignness of the surround = no defence against environment, powerless position,communicating submission. These are conventionalized expressions of sexuality now, where FEMININITY = FEMALE SEXUALITY becomes = SUBMISSIVE, DEPENDENT Magazines for gay men utilize the feminine postures = these poses and communication expressions are not natural at all, but they're both looked at by men so what' is natural is men's desires perhaps. Relationship between watcher and watched (Submission) 'the bashful kneebend' = the body is tilted = a woman who is unable to respond to her surrounding should it do harm :: Licensed Withdrawl :: Not only a physical distinction with the world as seen as above, but also a psychological distinction Women seem to be removed from the social situation at large While women drift, men are anchored in reality and monitoring Men charged with assaults picked victims that communicated with non-verbal cues (ones who wouldn't fight back = postures glamorized in advertisements) :: Infantilization ::
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:: Infantilization :: "boys pushing into menhood, girls can just 'unfold' " = women never leave girlhood behind Women models adopting the same postures, ritualistic links to chidlhood Only when the code gets broken does it seem out of place (like men taking on these poses) Problem with this is that real little girls become equated with sexuality that women are portraying it's not just a oneway relationship :: Codes of Masculinity :: It's impossible to talk of one gender without reference to the other = everything is opposite The only place where we see a breach in this normality is in real situations (i.e. stock brokers) Yet it's beginning to surface that men are opening up to the cultural codes of masculinity why? Large markets in clothing for men, etc. positioning them as objects of the gaze, being looked at, not the ones looking out. But may be problematic because they have to convince heterosexual consumers that paying attention to fashion and these male models are not gayprone behaviours So they introduce women into the ads as well, placed strategicially, make sure male bodies portrayed are powerful and masculine (abs, etc.) :: Trapped in the Code :: Why do even powerful females in movies become typically portraying of 'feminine' requirements Even athletes, for all the control and power they seem to harness, when portrayed in ads, it's all very sexual and vulnerable, adopting ritualized displays

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Gender & Advertising

March-12-12 5:00 PM

Themes in advertising - women The superwoman - most prominent during 1980s The independent woman - appeared at the turn of the century The love tutor The sex kitten The homemaker - "the queen of the domestic" Yoplait commercial example - 'like dating a masseuss good' 1960s Folger's Commercial - when pretty wives make crappy coffee Goodyear Polyglas Tires - dangers of stepping outside the home

Is domestic servitude still popular? 2008 children's commercial 'Come into my Home'
"Angry Women and Advertising" PMS focused advertisements "Virgin/Whore Dichotomy" The ideal woman is both "virginal and sexy" at the same time National campaign to prevent teen pregnancies ("prick, cheap, reject, nobody" fonts) Positioning women as the 'gatekeepers' of virginity - telling them that it's in their control

Gender, Stereotypes & Advertising Stereotyped representations of women, femininity, and beauty Where feminist burn bras - the stereotype came from miss america pagents where they threw everything representing femininity in the trash but media only caught What about masculinity? How does advertising portray boys, men and masculinity?
Roles for Men in Media Generally

The joker: masking the fact the men can be emotional, expands on emotional constraints, showing that men can enjoy themselves and fool around
Thejock:

The strong silent type: keeping emotions in check, acting decisively (ex. Strong fathers)
The big shot: gets his status through professional status - socially affluent = rich, etc. Action hero: strong, not necessarily silent, aggressive and extreme - and over the years this characteristic has been protrayed with more violence

The buffoon: the fumbling man of the family (ex. Homer, etc.) - always well intentioned but doing something foolish
Men in advertising: in advertising men are in charge, self contained, alone, aggressive, dominant, militaristic, threatening, etc. (check out films like: Tough Guys, People like Jason Katz) But more depictions of men experiencing emotions is beginning to surface, portrayed with babies, etc.

Men are also becoming objectified as women have been they're "stupified" Sarah haskin's 'doofy husbands' The "grotesque male" - portraying them as unappealing, as being vulgar, etc. - but they're reinforcing the hegemonic masculinity since they're saying if they're not fitting the hegemonic ideals, they're the grotesque male
Policing masculinity: social control of gender and sexuality, notion of the feminine being less than - i.e. if they're not acting lik emen, then they're acting like women, which is bad Policing Boyhood: examples from advertisements - where J.Crew ad with boy whose nails painted pink = outrage; same reaction would not have been observed were it a girl Rejecting Femininity and Reclaiming Masculinity: example - burger king commercial 'I am Man' Using women's bodies as objects of men's attraction even to appeal to women consumers = women becoming sexual objects when they're linked with the products they're trying to sell (how women's bodies are depicted in pieces)
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objects when they're linked with the products they're trying to sell (how women's bodies are depicted in pieces) Eroticization of Girls - portrayal of girls in a sexualized way, infantilization of women Sex and violence being linked

Social Change

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Jean killbourne's killing us softly video

March-19-12 4:39 PM

Ads against women... Believes it's gotten worse Quoted advertising paper that claims only 8% of ads are received by conscious mind, the rest is worked over constantly in the unconscious Issue of photoshop Turning people into things is always the first step in justifying violence against them this is constantly done to women in advertising Dehumanizing women by cutting their bodies into pieces to depict 91% of cosmentic surgeries are performed on women almost 12 million surgeries per year;; 754% increase Because the ideal only fits 5% of all women.. 95% dieters regain all weight, even more, Solution to obesity and obsession with thinness is related: stop making people hate themselves Eating has become a moral issue and the more it does, the more food commercials become eroticized Devaluing qualities that get labelled as "feminine" since everything feminine is considered 'bad' Ads continuously eroticize violence, desensitizing people and more likely to blame the victim So what do we do: Become aware and realize this is a problem that affects all: discuss, expose, push for change as advertisers will never take the first step as it is profitable for them now, etc.

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Food Representations in Popular Canadian Magazine

April-02-12 3:44 PM

Use of 'food themed events' and categorized Which theme is the primary focus of popular magazine media in Canada? Categories Sustanability & Fairness: promotes buying local, critiques industrial food systems, fair trade, what's wrong with industrial food? (fast food nation, tapped, fresh, vanishing of the bees*, food inc.*, hungry for change) Grains are overproduced...? Because they're commodity crops, lowers prices for corporations, can store for longer periods, Vast amounts of corn become animal feeds - to fatten them up faster When animals are left in concentrated areas - their fesces go into a 'manure lagoon' which can potentially get into natural environmental flows = ecological blight Alternatives should get meat from free-range farms Healthy Foods Foods good for human health, helps special needs consumers (GF, etc.), 'mindful eating' = carefully considering where the food came from, what it will do to the body Environmental Health Personal food growing, fair treatment of livestock, environmental protections Conspicuous Consumption Traditional gastronomy, food styling, meals for 'special occasions,' food ads "traditional gastronomy" = the art of good eating, gourmet cuisine & creation of food and wine guides, privilege Aesthetic Qualities over human nutrition (i.e. sensory pleasure) Food pages double during summer (BBQ season) and end of year (Holidays) Food advertisements: 'Generic' 'Hidden' 'Nutritionism' (i.e. adding nutritious things - fortified margarines) Foodie 'Identity' Markers Simplification (easy instructions,etc), accomodating time pressure - 40% of recipes observed were under 30 mins, 68% under 1 hour, national/regional identity references Consumers are looking for 'deskilling the art of cooking' - convenience > Cooptation Use of ethical consumption terms, principles,etc. for the marketing of branded/industrial products - terms like "local, fresh, organic, real, natural, wild" Food and Drug Regulations The term 'Natural' = food additives, vitamins and mineral nutrients may be derived from natural sources in which case the acceptable claim would food contains "natural ingredients" The term 'organic' - 48 pages of outlines The term 'real' is not regulated Canadian government is seeking to relinquish some of the regulations Findings Conspicuous ads are the most prominent Highest ethical coverage = healthy eating (sustainability and environment barely get attention) Conspicuous consumption biggest categories Farmers' markets vs industrial 'real food' = coopted 'real food' pages outnumber the farmers markets

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Social Advertising
April-02-12 4:43 PM

Social marketing is the applicatino of marketing technologies developed in the commercial sector to create social change Social marketing involves? Analysis, planning, execution, evaluation of programs designed to influence behavioural change

Social Advertising and History Why has social advertising existed throughout time? Perhaps to promote causes/events, win over particular groups, to gain acceptance for new ideas, to reinforce/change behaviour Examples: ancient Greece and Rome, England during the Industrial Revolution (prisons for those in debt, voting rights for women, do away with child labor), 19th Century America (slavery, abolish drinking, get votes for women, regulations on food and drugs) United Colors of Benetton Campaigns what type of social justice issues has this company used in their campaigns? AIDs, sexism, animal rights, racism, human rights, death rows, etc. What is their advertising strategy? Controversial tactics - "global concerns for global consumers" Construct an image for the company as socially aware, appeals to youth, capture consumers who are 'tired of fake advertisements' Target 18-45 who are affluent Contrversies - death row campaign led to them severing ties with Sears UnHate campaign of political leaders kissing
Reviewing Safety belt ads (won awards) Sex doll ads AIDS (the french ads with scoripions/spiders, or the 'out of fashion' ads)

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