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Content Analysis of Advertising Visuals in the Magazine

Advertisements: The Roaring Twenties and the Great

Depression

Daechun An

[WJMCR  6:3 June 2003]

ections:

Introduction|Research Questions|Methodology|Results|Conclusion

!stract

"his content analysis o# a sa$%le o# ad&ertising #ro$ Time' New Yorker ' andSaturday Evening  Post  during the ()20s and ()30s e*a$ined the i$%act o# the national econo$ic conditions onad&ertising and its &isuals+ "his study suggests that the i$%act o# national econo$icconditions in the ()20s and ()30s on the use o# ad &isuals in the $ainstrea$ $aga,inead&ertise$ents see$ed &isi!le+ -hotogra%hs .ere $ore %re&alent in the ()30s+ lso' the useo# literal &isuals .as do$inant in the ()30s+ "he di##erence in the use o# ad&ertising &isuals.as statistically signi#icant !et.een the t.o %eriods o# ti$e in the early t.entieth century+"his study su%%orts cultural historian/s argu$ent that ad&ertising is &ie.ed as $irrors o#society' !eing in#luenced and sha%ed !y the culture and society+

Introduction

d&ertising &isual and its gra%hical co$%onents ha&e long !een the target o# studies since$areters !egan to ado%t #ull1scale $areting acti&ities in the late nineteenth century+ "hei$%ortant the$e .as ho. the &isual a%%eal could !e translated into an e##ecti&e selling$essage+( "he role o# ad&ertising &isuals includes o!taining attention' creating i$%act' andsti$ulating interest #ro$ an indi##erent audience through con&eying a $ain selling %oint o#

 %roducts or !rands+2 d&ertising &isuals %er#or$ t.o $ain #unctions 1 literal andsy$!olic+3 iteral &isuals %ro&ide #actual in#or$ation on %roducts or ser&ices' and sy$!olic

&isuals %er#or$ an indirect role to connect the i$ages o# %roducts or ser&ices .ith the$eanings that are a%%ro%riately assigned to the$+

d&ertising is %art o# the changing social' econo$ic' and cultural en&iron$ent' and its &isuals$ight ha&e !een created in a .ay that could re#lect those changes that %eo%le .ould .ant toadust the$sel&es to+4 nother .ay o# lining ad&ertising and its &isuals to society andculture is the cultural a%%roach to ad&ertising+ Cultural historians argue that ad&ertising is ani$%ortant .indo. through .hich di##erent as%ects o# society and culture can !ee*%lained+5 ut also' the ad&ertising itsel# can !e e*%lained to deter$ine ho. it $ight ha&e

 !een sha%ed !y society+ "his a%%roach recogni,es ad&ertising not only as a .indo. to culture !ut also a $irror that re#lects the culture' or the cultures+6

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7or any s%eci#ic %eriod o# ti$e' this a%%roach &ie.ed that %re&ailing social and cultural &aluescould ha&e dictated ho. ad&ertising and its &isuals e&ol&ed around the$+ ased on thisa%%roach' the t.o econo$ically contrasting %eriods' the 8Roaring ".enties9 and the 8reat;e%ression9 .ere co$%ared through a content analysis o# &isual #or$s in the $aga,inead&ertise$ents to see i# the ads and its &isuals had re#lected the underlying econo$ic

conditions in the$+

iterature Re&ie.

-ercy(0 di&ided &isual co$$unication in ad&ertising into t.o categories o#sti$uli G static and dyna$ic+ "he three ele$ents that deter$ine static sti$uli are %icture si,e'e*%osure duration and nu$!er o# e*%osures+ n increase in any o# these &aria!les has !eensho.n to increase recognition' encoding o# details and de&elo%$ent o# denotati&e i$agesa$ong &ie.ers+ lthough the attri!utes o# static sti$uli do not #it %er#ectly in $easuringdyna$ic sti$uli' this latter ty%e also has resulted in high &ie.er res%onse+

Co$$unication !y &isual i$age is easily the $ost i$%ortant di$ension o# an ad&ertising

$essage+ H&en in a $ediu$ lie radio' the i$ages %roduced !y the listener still carry ani$%ortant #unction+(( 

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?y$!olic &isuals can use association Dli#estyle' ty%ical %erson' situationE' association .ith acharacter or cele!rity' $eta%hor' storytelling or aesthetics+ D?ee "a!le (E

In general' literal &isuals are used to co$$unicate #actual in#or$ation' so their role is toidenti#y' descri!e and re%ort details o# a %roduct+ ?y$!ols co$$unicate through $eaning+"hey %resent conce%ts through the use o# a!stract associations+

Cultural a%%roach to the history o# ad&ertising+ While $uch o# the early history .ritten a!outad&ertising has su%%orted one side or another in the dis%ute o&er the direct e##ects o#ad&ertising on consu$ers' cultural history has tended to say $ore a!out $erican culturethan ad&ertising %er se+(3 In this a%%roach' ad&ertising is &ie.ed as $irrors o# society' !eingin#luenced and sha%ed !y the culture and society+ "echnological de&elo%$ents' social'econo$ic' and %olitical conditions in#luence the society and' as a conseFuence' i$%act .hat iscontained in ad&ertising+ 7or e*a$%le' econo$ic conditions ha&e !een regarded as i$%ortanthistoric #orces that ha&e in#luenced society' industry' educational syste$' %olitics and religion+

$erica has sy$!oli,ed 8econo$ic a!undance9 during the last three centuries' and that #orcehas hel%ed sha%e the $erican society through an institution o# $odern ad&ertising+(4 -otter

stated' in his land$ar .or on cultural history o# ad&ertising' People of Plenty: Economic Abundance and the American haracter :

d&ertising should !e recogni,ed as an i$%ortant social in#luence and should !e identi#ied.ith one o# the $ost %er&asi&e #orces in $erican li#e' the #orce o# econo$ic a!undance+ "he$ost critical %oint on the #unctioning o# society shi#ts #ro$ %roduction to consu$%tion+ ?o'the culture $ust !e reoriented to con&ert the %roducer/s culture into consu$er/s culture+d&ertising a%%eals %ri$arily to consu$er/s desires+

"his is .hat he called 8the social e##ect o# ad&ertising'9 .hich is' in %arallel !ut !roadersense' 8to $ae the indi&idual lie .hat he gets G to en#orce already e*isting attitudes' to

di$inish the range and &ariety o# choices' and' in ter$s o# a!undance' to e*alt the$aterialistic &irtues o# consu$%tion+9 =e argues that ad&ertising should !e directed to the

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increasingly engaged in a struggle #or sur&i&al a#ter the $aret crash' e&en stee%er declines inad&ertising e*%enditures and re&enues .ere !rought in this era+

"he loo and content o# ad&ertising in the early ()30s .ere a##ected !y econo$ic and %ro#essional concerns+24 d&ertisers e&entually re%laced color and illustrations .ith

e*tensi&e te*t in a $ulti%le o# ty%e#aces to gra! attention+ ouder headlines' strident hard1sellco%y' and gross e*aggerations a%%eared as %seudoscienti#ic argu$ents and a%%eals toe$otion+ d&ertising ca%itali,ed on consu$ers/ intensi#ied econo$ic and %ersonal insecurities.ith this hard1sell a%%roach+ ds looed de%ressed co$%ared to la&ish' color#ul' andi$aginati&e ads o# %re&ious decade+ "his trend had !een %re&ailing until World War II' .hichended the ;e%ression+

"he criticis$ argues that creati&e leaders in the ()20s %ursued their o.n nonre%resentati&etastes' and they o#ten $ade the $istae o# trying to escalate the %u!lic/s taste o# using artisticlanguage that .as too toney and a!stract #or their audience+ =o.e&er' it see$s thatad&ertising creati&e had e$%loyed so$e generali,a!le &isual strategies in their ad&ertise$ents

to create i$%act on the audiences+ ?i$ilarly' in the ()30s' .hich can !e re%resented as theti$e o# de%ression' it is suggested that econo$ic and %ro#essional concerns largely a##ectedthe style and content o# ad&ertising+25

Research Questions

consideration o# the #unction o# ad&ertising &isuals in conunction .ith the social andecono$ic changes during the ()20s and the ()30s suggests se&eral research Fuestions a!outthe ty%es and #unctions o# &isuals in %rint ad&ertise$ents in the ()20s and the ()30s' the#ollo.ing research Fuestions are suggested:

RQ (+ What .ere the $ain categories o# %roducts ad&ertised .ith &isuals during these %eriodsN

RQ 2+ What ty%e o# ad&ertising &isuals D%hotogra%hs or illustrationsE do$inated these %eriodsN

RQ 3+ What .ere the i$%ortant #unctions o# ad&ertising &isuals in the ()20s and the ()30sN

RQ 4+ Was there any relationshi% !et.een the ty%e o# &isuals and their #unctionsN

RQ 5+ In each category o# the #unction' .hat .ere the %ro$inent uses o# &isualsN De+g+ #orliteral &isuals' identi#ication or de$onstration' and #or sy$!olic &isuals' association or$eta%horE

It is hy%othesi,ed that the econo$ic and social conditions that %re&ailed in the Lnited ?tatesin the ()20s and ()30s .ill !e re#lected in the &isuals used in $aga,ine ad&ertising+?%eci#ically' ad&ertise$ents in the ()20s are e*%ected to %er#or$ $ore sy$!olic #unctions.hile those in the ()30s did $ore literal #unctions+ ConseFuently' the use o# &isuals #or eacho# the t.o categories' sy$!olic and literal' is e*%ected to !e signi#icantly di##erent !et.eent.o eras' ()20s and ()30s+ "he literal #unctions' such as identi#ication' descri%tion'co$%arison' and de$onstration' are e*%ected to !e the #ocus o# ad&ertising &isuals in the

()30s' .hile the ()20s/ ad&ertising &isuals %er#or$ed $ore o# such sy$!olic #unctions asassociation' $eta%hor' storytelling' and aesthetics+

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Methodology

"o study the $ost interesting and challenging research %ro!le$s' .hich are those a!out thecauses and e##ects o# co$$unication' content analysis' a research tool #or $aing in#erencesa!out the $eaning o# co$$unication $essages' is a %o.er#ul de&ice to assess 8a&erage9 o# a

culture or a social syste$ in general+26 erg2@ also suggests that content analysis $ay #ocuson either Fuantitati&e or Fualitati&e as%ects o# co$$unication $essages+ Hs%ecially #or thestudy o# ad&ertising' a Fuantitati&e content analysis can $o&e !eyond counting to deal .iththe $eanings that ad&ertising attaches to %re&alent culture !y including latent &aria!les suchas conte*tual and societal &aria!les that are not %hysically %resent and counta!le+2 In thisregard' Fuantitati&e content analysis $ay !e one o# the a%%ro%riate a%%roaches to assess$ento# the cultural i$%act o# the societal changes on ad&ertising+

"his study a%%lied content analysis to chart #unctions o# &isuals in $aga,ine ad&ertise$entso# the ()20s and ()30s+ "he goal o# de&elo%ing sa$%ling #ra$es .as to select $aga,ines that.ould re%resent a .ide range o# readershi% and de$ogra%hic categories+ "hree $ainstrea$

$aga,ines .ere' there#ore' selectedOTime' New Yorker ' and Saturday Evening Post  D?ee "a!le2 #or the $ost recent target audience' circulation and editorial content o# these $aga,inesE+

Time' .hich =enry uce and riton =adden started in March ()23' .as chosen #or the study' !ecause it .as #elt that it .as a 8$ainstrea$9 %u!lication that .as e*tant al$ost 0 years agoand still on ne.sstand today+ ecause o# the change in #reFuency o# %u!lication !y Saturday

 Evening Post  #ro$ a .eely to a !i1$onthly in recent years' it .as not at #irst considered+

=o.e&er' this %ro!le$ .as out.eighed !y the #act that Saturday Evening Post  .as %ro!a!lythe strongest .eely $aga,ine2) and .as al$ost sy$!ol o# the country itsel#+30 lso' New

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Yorker  .as e*a$ined #or this study' !ecause it .as #elt that 8it is a $aga,ine a&o.edly %u!lished #or a $etro%olitan audience and there!y .ill esca%e an in#luence .hich ha$%ers$ost national %u!lications+ It e*%ects a considera!le national circulation' !ut this .ill co$e#ro$ %ersons .ho ha&e a $etro%olitan interest+93(

"o analy,e a%%ro*i$ately the sa$e nu$!er o# ad&ertise$ents #ro$ each $aga,ine' .ee$%loyed a Fuota sa$%ling %rocedure+ 7our issues o# each $aga,ine #ro$ the years ()2@'()2' ()2)' ()35' ()3@' and ()3) .ere selected #or a total o# se&enty1t.o issues+ ?ince "i$eand Ae. Porer did not deli&er enough ad&ertise$ents until the latter years o# the ()20s'ad&ertise$ents a%%eared in the ()2@' ()2' and ()2) .ere collected to re%resent the ()20s+7or ensuring enough ti$e di##erence !et.een the t.o %eriods' years o# ()35' ()3@' and ()3)

 !eca$e the sa$%ling #ra$e years o# the issues #or the ()30s+ eginning .ith a rando$selection o# January' 7e!ruary' or March' the #irst issue o# e&ery third $onth .assyste$atically included in the sa$%le+ ?i$ilarly' e&ery #ourth #ull or dou!le1%age dis%layad&ertise$ent .as included' counting #ro$ a rando$ly chosen starting %oint+ total o# 334ad&ertise$ents .as collected+

d&ertising &isuals .ere grou%ed together in three .ays: !y %roduct category' !y itse*ecution ty%e D%hotogra%h or illustrationE' and !y #unction in ad&ertising+ In order to sortthe$ !y ty%es o# %roduct' .e esta!lished nine seg$ents o# %roduct categories: auto or auto1related Dincluding tire' gasoline' and $otor oilE' #inancial ser&ice Dincluding !an' insurance'and other #inancial ser&icesE' ho$e electronics' #ood' !e&erages Dincluding !eer and otherliFuorsE' cigarette' clothing' household $iscellaneous goods and others Dincluding %ersonalcare' #urniture' tra&el' etc+E+ Illustration and %hotogra%h .ere the t.o $ain categories o# &isualty%e .hile so$e o# the$ used a co$!ination o# illustrations and %hotogra%hs+ "he #unctionso# &isuals .ere di&ided into t.o !road categories: literal and sy$!olic+ iteral &isuals .eredi&ided into identi#ication' descri%tion' co$%arison' and de$onstration+ ?y$!olic &isualsincluded association' association .ith a character or cele!rity' $eta%hor' storytelling' andaesthetic+ "he author o# this %a%er' .ho had .ored as an ad&ertising $anager #or se&eralyears' coded all ads+ 7or checing coder relia!ility' .e used ?cott/s %i+ ".enty1#i&e ads that.ere not included in this study .ere coded t.ice to get the ?cott/s %i+ "he coder relia!ility o#each coding category ranged #ro$ @ to @ Di+e+ @ #or #unctions o# &isuals' 2 #orty%e o# &isuals' and @ #or su!1#unction ite$sE+

Results and ;iscussion

d&ertising !oth in the ()20s and the ()30s .as led $ainly !y auto$o!ile industry+ "a!le 3

su$$ari,es ty%es o# %roduct categories e*a$ined in this study+

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uto$o!ile ads' co$!ined .ith tire' !attery' and $otor oil ads' accounted #or a!out 3( o#all ad&ertised %roducts in three $aga,ines in the ()20s and the ()30s+ uto or auto1relatedads .ere seen on e&ery other %age o# $aga,ines in this era+ ds o# -ly$outh' Che&rolet'Chrysler' Cadillac' and other !rands #reFuently a%%eared in a classical style along .ith elly?%ring#ield tire ads' .hich .as one o# the outstanding tire ca$%aigns that ran #ro$ ()( to()3(+ "he second $ost #reFuent %roduct ty%e .as insurance and #inancial ser&ices+-articularly' in the ()30s' .hen %eo%le su##ered su!stantially #ro$ shortage o# dis%osa!leinco$e' se&eral ty%es o# #inancial ser&ices o#ten a%%ealed to those .ho needed #inancial aids+

In res%onse to dra$atic increase o# de$and #or radio and re#rigerator' ho$e electronics

 !usiness o.ners !eca$e one o# the do$inant ad&ertisers in this %eriod' as .ere #ood$areters+ K# course' our indis%ensa!le necessities #or e&eryday li#e' such as clothing' #ood'and drins' .hich .ere not $uch sensiti&e to the changes o# econo$ic condition' #ollo.edho$e electronics+ s .ith the #inancial ser&ice industry' a signi#icant change in ad&ertising&olu$e !et.een the ()20s and the ()30s .as identi#ied in the category o# household$iscellaneous goods' such as chair' des' #urniture' heater' .atch' cloc' la$%' car%et' and thelie+ "he ad #reFuency .ithin this category radically dro%%ed #ro$ (6 to ) o# the total&olu$es+ s dis%arity in .ealth !eca$e se&ere %ro!le$' the relati&e %oor had to reduce theirconsu$%tion o# goods or ser&ices that .ere not al.ays reFuired #or their e&eryday li&es+Interestingly' the liFuor ads increased #ro$ 5 to (6 D$o&ing #ro$ tied #or last to secondEduring this %eriod' indicating a considera!le shi#t in the ty%e o# %roducts ad&ertised !et.een

these t.o %eriods D?%ear$an/s r +3)' %S+20E+ "his $ight re#lect a des%erate a##ecti&e state'.hich could !e e*%lained !y the surge o# #inancial crisis in the ()30s+

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"a!le 4 and "a!le 5 crossta!ulates the t.o %eriods o# ti$e .ith ty%es o# ad &isuals used+

"here .as a signi#icant di##erence in the use o# %hotogra%hs and illustrations during the ()20sand ()30s DChi1sFuare(@+2)5' d+#+(' %S+000E+ "he %ercentage o# ads that contained

 %hotogra%hs rose during this %eriod+ In the ()20s' %hotogra%hs a%%eared in only 2 o# allads .hile illustrations .ere used in @2 o# ads+ ut the ratio changed to 50 to 50 in the()30s+

".o #actors' at least in %art' $ay e*%lain to this ratio change: the increase in i$%ortance o#realistic i$%ression and s%read o# the use o# %hotogra%hs in ads+ In the ()30s' ad&ertising

ca%itali,ed on consu$ers/ intensi#ied econo$ic and %ersonal insecurities .ith hard1sella%%roach' .hich e$%hasi,ed louder headlines' strident hard1sell co%y' and identi#ication anddescri%tion o# the %roduct+32 "he result .as a dra$atic increase in the use o# %hotogra%hsrather than illustrations !ecause the #ocus shi#ted to real i$%ressions o# the %roduct rather thande%iction o# %roduct %ersonality or i$age+ nother #actor contri!uting to the increased use o#

 %hotogra%hs could ha&e !een an e##ort to reduce %roduction costs !ecause illustrations .ouldusually tae $ore ti$e and la!or' and' in turn' $ore cost than %hotogra%hs+ recent studysho.s that al$ost )@ o# %rint ads used %hotogra%hy rather than illustrations #or realisticdescri%tion o# i$%ressions o# %roducts or !rands+33 "he %ercentage change in the use o#illustration in ?aturday H&ening -ost .as tre$endous' declining #ro$ 3 in the ()20s to3 in the ()30s+

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"y%ical uses o# %hotogra%hs and illustrations in the ()20s can !e seen in the Chrysler ad in theMay @th ()2 issue o# "i$e and the -ly$outh ad in the July (0th ()3@ issue o# "i$e+Chrysler tried to a%%eal to consu$ers/ #eeling' sho.ing its 8@29 ?%ort Roadstar in an artisticillustration' .hile -ly$outh .anted to de$onstrate the actual scene o# an ins%ector/s care#ulscrutiny o# all door %ulls and .indo.1li#t handles+

"a!le 6 sho.s that there .as a signi#icant di##erence in the role o# &isuals !et.een the ()20sand the ()30s DChi1sFuare (2+@04' d+#+ (' % S +000E+ t.o1ste% co$%arison atte$%ted todeter$ine the di##erence in the use o# literal and sy$!olic &isuals in the ()20s and the ()30sD?ee "a!le 6E+ 7irst' in the ()20s' literal &isuals only accounted #or 43 .hile sy$!olic&isuals $ade u% 5@+ In the ()30s' literal &isuals increased to 5) .hile sy$!olic &isualsdecreased to 4(+ "he other .ay is to co$%are a$ong seg$ents o# role o# the ad &isuals+ssociation too the #irst ran .ith its usage le&el o# 2 o# the total &isual ads in the ()20s+It decreased to (2 in the ()30s+ Kn the contrary' in the ()30s' descri%tion increased to !ein&ol&ed in 33 o# the total ads e*a$ined in this study although it only $ade u% 22 o# total

ads in the ()20s+

In addition' "a!le @ sho.s that the %ercentage o# illustrations used in literal ad&ertise$ents.as less than those used in sy$!olic ad&ertise$ents+ "his suggests that illustrations .ere

$ore a%%ro%riate &isual ty%e #or sy$!olic #unctions+ Chi1sFuare analysis o# the di##erencein the use o# illustrations and %hotogra%hs #or literal and sy$!olic &isuals #ound that there .asa statistically signi#icant di##erence !et.een literal and sy$!olic &isuals DChi1sFuare 3+)54'd+#+ (' % S +04)E+

"he association #unction o# the &isual re%resents an e##ort to relate the %roduct .ithconsu$ers/ li#estyle' ty%ical %erson/s character' and e&eryday use situation+ It is an indirect.ay o# identi#ication or descri%tion o# the %roduct to %ersuade consu$ers to try their %roducts+It ne&er .ants to directly descri!e or identi#y %roduct characteristics or its usage' !ut it

usually entices consu$ers to try the %roduct through indirect e*%lanation o# %otentialconsu$ers/ li#estyle and situations in .hich the %roduct is certainly tried+ In the ()20s' .hen

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a ty%ical %erson had dis%osa!le $oney' the ad&ertisers could not success#ully %ersuade the$to !uy only .ith direct e*%lanation or descri%tion o# the %roduct+ Rather' they needed toa%%eal to their consu$ers .ith $uch $ore so%histicated use o# language or &isuals+ =ardco%y or !ig headline .as ne&er !etter than so#t co%y and artistic &isuals !ecause consu$ers.ere #ully su%%lied .ith &arious inds o# %roducts' .ith .hich they could enlarge their

choices o# decision+

n illustrati&e e*a$%le using association #unction o# &isuals is the Ca$el ad in the #irst;ece$!er issue o# "i$e $aga,ine in ()2@+ "his ad tried to associate Ca$el .ith a grou% o#

 %eo%le .ho .ere enoying the !eauti#ul rural scenery in the .inter season+ It .as stingy inusing co%y and ne&er tried to use all the s%ace reser&ed #or &isuals and co%ies+ Rather' it usttried to $a*i$i,e the e##ect o# $ini$al use o# co%y and %icturesFue illustration+

"he so#t sell a%%roach' ho.e&er' #aded .hen the stoc $aret colla%sed in ()2)+ In the ()30s'de$onstration and identi#ication !eca$e the t.o $ain #unctions o# ad&ertising &isuals in %art

 !ecause consu$ers $ight ha&e considered %roduct characteristic and %rice $ore than

anything+ "his $ay !e due to their lac o# $oney to !uy' ti$e s%ent on decision andenthusias$ to.ard search #or u%scale and so%histicatedly ad&ertised %roducts+ d&ertisers.anted to gi&e a direct $essage+ "hey had to identi#y .hat their %roducts .ere' descri!e as$ay ad&antages as %ossi!le' and distinguish the #eatures o# their %roducts #ro$ co$%etitor/s

 %roducts+

In the ()30s' ad&ertising creati&e directors !eca$e $ore concerned .ith literal roles o#&isuals such as identi#ication' descri%tion' co$%arison and de$onstration+ "a!le sho.s this

 %oint &ery .ell+ Kut o# (5@ &isuals' sa$%led #ro$ the ()30s ads' al$ost t.o thirds containedliteral &isuals+

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?uch hard1sell a%%roach do$inating ad&ertising s%ace in the ()30s can !e e*e$%li#ied !y the-ly$outh ;e u*e 7our1;oor "ouring ?edan ad' .hich a%%eared in Time' in the second .ee

o# May ()3)+ "he &isual o# this ad .as %ri$arily used to sho. ad&antages o# lo.er $ileage's%ace ad&antage and lo. %rice' using hard co%y and actual %hotogra%hic descri%tion+

When ad&ertisers thought that they needed to a%%eal to consu$ers/ rationality' they usedliteral &isuals' and' con&ersely' .hen they thought that they needed to a%%eal to consu$ers/e$otions they used $ore sy$!olic &isuals+ "his is ho. the contrasting a%%lication o# t.ocon#licting role o# ad &isuals loos lie+ When this result is connected to the ty%es o# ad&isuals' %hotogra%h &s+ illustration' it !eco$es e&ident that the rational a%%roach e$%loyed$ore %hotogra%hs .hile the e$otional a%%roach e$!raced illustrations $ore+ In other .ords'in the ()20s' .hen ad&ertisers #elt that it .as !etter to $ae $ostly e$otional a%%eals toconsu$ers' sy$!olic &isuals using illustration could acco$%lish the goal !etter+ Kn thecontrary' in the ()30s' literal &isuals using %hotogra%hs !etter ser&ed ad&ertisers/ goal to $aerational a%%eals to $ore %ractical+

Conclusion

"his study suggests that the i$%act o# national econo$ic conditions in the ()20s and ()30son the use o# ad &isuals in the $ainstrea$ $aga,ine ad&ertise$ents see$ed &isi!le+ se*%ected' %hotogra%hs .ere $ore %re&alent in the ()30s than the ()20s+ lso' the use o#literal &isuals .as do$inant in the ()30s' .hen ad&ertisers .anted to s%ea in detail a!out the

 %roduct ad&ertised to %ersuade the o!stinate consu$ers+ In %articular' rather than %ro&iding

i$age or #eeling associated .ith %roducts' e*tra e##orts had !een $ade to identi#y anddescri!e their %roduct and their characteristics+ ll these .ere #ound signi#icantly di##erent

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 !et.een the t.o contrasting %eriods o# ti$e in the early t.entieth century+ -resu$a!ly' one o# the #ine indicators o# social condition' the econo$ic condition dictated ho. ad&ertising usesits &isuals to %ersuade consu$ers+ "his .as %articularly %redicta!le during the %eriod o#

 %ros%erity in the Roaring ".enties or the nation.ide econo$ic crisis' the reat ;e%ression+

Kne o# the ey argu$ents o# the cultural history o# ad&ertising contends that ad&ertisingshould !e &ie.ed as $irrors o# society' !ecause it is in#luenced and sha%ed !y the culture andsociety+34 "he society is in#luenced !y technological de&elo%$ents as .ell as social'econo$ic' and %olitical conditions and' in turn' the societal change is re#lected in ad&ertising+In line .ith the argu$ents #ro$ the cultural history &ie.%oint' this study su%%orts the thesisthat the in#luence o# the econo$ic conditions .as re#lected in $ainstrea$ ad&ertising+ "heincrease in the use o# literal &isuals and illustrations in the ()30s suggests that ad&ertisingre#lected the changing need o# consu$ers and society during the national econo$ic crisis+"his result .as also su%%orted !y co$%arison o# the t.o %eriods+

=o.e&er' inter%retation o# the results o# this ty%e o# content analysis al.ays reFuires a s%ecial

caution+ Rarely are there single1cause %heno$ena+ K!&iously' there .ould !e so$e other#actors that $ight e*%lain the changes in the use o# &isuals in ad&ertising+ Ae. $o&e$ent o#design $ight ha&e contri!uted to this trend in that they e$%hasi,ed si$%le #or$s' Fuality$aterials' sound construction and' i$%ortantly' adding color#ul decoration only to satis#y

 %re&ailing tastes in the ()30s+ "echnological de&elo%$ent and ne. social &alues .ould also !e considered as i$%ortant &aria!les+

While this study could not co$%letely attri!ute the changes in the use o# &isuals e*clusi&ely tothe econo$ic conditions' ne&ertheless it a%%ears reasona!le to conclude that at least %art o#the changes .ere attri!uta!le to the$+ "he #unction o# ad&ertising can !e e*%lained in t.o.ays: econo$ic e##ect and social e##ect+35 s #ar as the latter is concerned' the changes innation.ide econo$ic status are .orth considering as historical #orces that .ould ha&ea##ected the society and' as a result' altered .hat had !een contained in ad&ertising+

;aechun n is an assistant %ro#essor o# Journalis$ at the Lni&ersity o# Aorth "e*as+ Aote:"his %a%er has !een %resented to the Maga,ine ;i&ision o# the 2002 HJMC AationalCon#erence in Mia$i each+

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