consumerism and advertising in the 1950s

In 1950, Coca-Cola launched its first television ad campaign using animation and celebrities to endorse their product. Around town, teenagers took to cruising, a social fad that involved simply driving from one location to another. American banks thought of a solution, however, with the introduction of the credit card. Meanwhile, American industry just needed some retooling to switch from wartime industries to peaceful pursuits. Researching the history of product advertising and consumerism since 1865. The television was a source for family programming, dramas, sitcoms. Affluent Society of 1950s America | Background, Pros & Cons. the mass production of televisions. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { This consumerism was driven by advertising, designed to make people want more things, better things, and newer things. Today, the system has about 45,000 miles of highway. Despite joblessness and wartime austerity, ordinary Americans held tight to old consuming habits and dreams. As more American families began to move into single-family suburban homes, consumption of convenience goods escalated, with families outfitting their new environments with automobiles, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 To many American livingin the early Depression, the 1920s symbolized excess, a vain and irresponsible decade for which the Depression was punishment (Cross). In the three-quarters of a century since this shift in consumerist attitudes occurred, we have only just begun to see the potential economic, environmental, and psychological impacts of constantly striving to ''keep up with the Joneses.''. While the Marshall Plan provided assistance overseas, American industry provided the goods that foreign economies craved, as well as goods for individuals with high incomes courtesy of the GI Bill. Selling in Order to Buy Consumerism has become an inherent part of the contemporary lifestyle. This family would live in a single-family suburban home stocked with mass-produced convenience items like dishwashers, washing machines, and television sets. Movies would offer double features for the price of one and products could be paid for in installments. Home-front workers found their wallets and purses full, many for the first time in a decade. Purchasing for the home helped alleviate traditional American uneasiness with consumption: the fear that spending would lead to decadence.". Throughout the decade, automakers debuted distinctive models every year. Create your account. Radio's golden age in the 1940s and TV's golden age in the 1950s both took place when advertisers were creating or heavily involved with the production of most of the programs. Tag along for a peek into advertising in the 1950s and 1960s. Merchandising and Promotion Systems in the Film Industry. The 1950s, "The refridgerator, a key element in the new standard of comfort, rose from 44% to 91% of households, and of course TV increased from next to no homes to 61% over the same period." (Cross) . Bill (the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944), which provided soldiers with a no-cost college education and affordable home loans. Required fields are marked *. Gender Roles in the 1950s History & Impact | What are Gender Roles? Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Television and consumerism In the 1950s the nature of advertising changed, and new critiques of advertising and consumption emerged. They singled out underconsumption as a root cause of the Great Depression, they called for the construction a consumerist political economy and pronounced America to be entering into new era defined economically by consumption and driven politically by the might of organized consumers (Glickman). When Was the Red Scare? American actress and singer Ann Blyth drinks a glass of milk in the kitchen of her home in Toluca Lake . JFK's New Frontier Speech & Program | What was JFK's New Frontier? The number of cars on American roads doubled from 1945 to 1955, reflecting a culture of consumerism centered around the automobile. Christmas and Consumerism, a Brief History. (function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). Affluent Society of 1950s America | Background, Pros & Cons. After World War II, Americans lived in a time of unprecedented economic prosperity and industrial development. Criticisms of the Rise of American Consumerism, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age: Help and Review, Industrialization from 1870 to 1900: Help and Review, America During 1900 to 1917: Help and Review, Major Events During American Imperialism: Help and Review, Economy & Politics of the 1920s: Help and Review, American Culture During the Roaring 20s: Help and Review, The Great Depression in America: Help and Review, Events in America During World War II: Help and Review, Post-War Europe: the Berlin Airlift & the Marshall Plan, Post-War Asia: Korea's Partition & Reconstruction of Japan's Government, Post-War Soviet Union & Eastern Europe: The Descent of the Iron Curtain, Post-War American Politics: Foreign & Domestic Policy, Post-War American Life: Culture of the late 1940s & 1950s, Truman's Fair Deal & Economics After WWII, Dwight D. 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Some TV shows, likeThe GoldbergsandThe Honeymooners, catered to working- and middle-class viewers with storylines about ethnic families. Consumerism on TV: Popular Media from the 1950s to the Present. His place became very popular, especially among the men. Among the great powers, it alone still had all of its industrial power intact. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Americans did not mind this lack of goods because it was all for the good of the war effort but it often left them with more money than they could spend. In 1947 Frank Urich had a different idea on how to get gas customers. Consumer advertising is a specific field of advertising, which focuses on the needs and desires of households rather than businesses. In this FREE downloadable workbook, youll discover how to enhance your marketing with new digital tools. All this was to make your gas fill-up even more desirable and memorable. Open Document. Consumer Culture Expressed Through 10 Contemporary Art Pieces | Widewalls Do they criticise consumerism or do they celebrate it? As Daily Life in 1950s America puts it, "along with rising incomes, easy credit, and fear of being left behind with outmoded products, aggressive marketing in the form of slick advertising campaigns fed the culture of consumerism." While some items found in the average home are still the standard to this day, other fads were just plain bizarre . A new wave of consumerism swept across much of the population of the United States during the 1950s. 1950s American culture was characterized by a boom in consumerism, which bolstered the economy and left cultural impacts as well. As the chief symbol of consumer culture, advertising has also been a chief subject of analysis for critics looking for the hidden springs of American life. This work "Consumerism in the 1950's" was written and submitted voluntarily by your fellow student. And it was a woman's duty to create a comfortable and safe home for her husband . 2 Pages. The purchase of many types of goods went up such as food, clothing, cars, and electric appliances. Others were filthy. After World War II, Americans enjoyed expanded opportunities and material prosperity. Even though economic collapse in the 1930s and diversion of commodities to the war effort in the 1940s dramatically reduced personal spending, American business continued to seek new ways and new things to sell to consumers (Cross). With over two decades of experience, Roundpeg is an Indianapolis-based digital marketing agency specializing in local SEO, website design, and content development. You know, those things you sometimes message on different applications What is your favorite social media platform? After the devastation of the Great Depression and World War II, many Americans sought to build a peaceful and prosperous society. Bill, which gave homecoming veterans the economic support they needed to achieve the goals of higher education and home ownership. She holds a Masters Degree in Teaching Middle Grades Social Studies and Science from Mercer University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Emory University. - Definition & History, William Monroe Trotter: Quotes & Biography, Cordell Hull: Secretary of State & Biography, Neil Armstrong: Biography, Facts & Moon Landing, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. On average, wives made 75% of all the purchases for her family. The heyday of the full service gas station reached its peak in those post World War II years. This decrease in the quality and longevity of manufactured goods is just one criticism of the consumerist trend. Consumers would continue to buy when possible and advocate for more government involvement in the production and inspection of goods. During the depression those that could buy would, those who could not would not; at the dawning of WWII Americans were encouraged to purchase some items and not purchase others, along with contribute to funding the war effort. It is worth noticing that alike as the belief consumerism is ephemeral and intangible, still people can perceive its effects in everyday life. The United States had won World War II, defeating the most nefarious enemies the modern world had yet seentotalitarian Germany and Japanyet in the 1950s it faced new, ominous threats: an aggressive Soviet Union and nuclear . WWII brought the U.S. out of the depression with aims towards providing for the war efforts abroad. In 1948, GM signed a historic agreement with the United Auto Workers union. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you The 1950s is often viewed as a period of conformity, when both men and women observed strict gender roles and complied with society's expectations. These advertisements used animated mascots and celebrity endorsements to highlight the appeal of an array of mass-produced goods, as well as television programs such as Leave it to Beaver that portrayed the idealized American family. The production and selling of goods judge the economy. Consumption overall would rise during this period and continue to form our modern day consumerist society. They clung to their luxuries or longed for their return. While some of these examples are so absurd theyve become funny to us now, others are nothing short of horrifying. JFK's New Frontier Speech & Program | What was JFK's New Frontier? Business and political leaders claimed consumerism was more than shopping: it defined the benefits of capitalism. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. ", Pragmatic Spending He has since founded his own financial advice firm, Newton Analytical. The station featured rows of shiny new pumps and girls on roller skates who skated around to collect money. In 1955, GM became the first U.S. corporation to earn more than $1 billion a year. } Its economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity-new cars,. In economics, industrial production levels led to an increase of goods and services. Conservatism. Labor and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph argued that equality of opportunity could not be left to the marketplace. Within this time frame of 1930 to 1960, discount stores targeting shoppers who wanted good products for good prices were created. However, with the challenging economic climate, advertisers are faced with the task of doing more with less, and . Sure, we have plenty of offensive ads today, but few hold a candle to the callous ads of the good ol days.. Families of all income brackets were buying televisions at a rate of five million a year. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. It's funny to me how these two time periods - a mere ten years apart - could be so different in approach. Advertisers began a slow trek to TV by the early 1950s. A major drawback was the advertising cost; sponsors were spending between $10,000 to $20,000 for 1-minute spots 10 times more than for radio ads, according to William H. Young in his book "The 1950s". If commitment was the key word of the Depression decade, many thousands of Americans expressed their engagement in the realm of consumption though membership in a consumer organization or cooperative, or thorough boycotts education campaigns, Dont buy where you cant work and cost-of-living strikes (Glickman). Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. Motels at that time were independent, mom-and-pop operations. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. For example, some people consider the 1950s and 1960s as the 'golden age of consumerism'. In 1952 alone, 3.9 million babies were born and an average of 4 . During World War II and the 1940s, fashion was a time of rationing. Presenting case studies of well-known shows including Will and Grace, Birds of a Feather, Sex and the City and Absolutely Fabulous, as well as 'reality' television, this book examines the transformations that have occurred in consumer society since its appearance and the ways in . Brought the U.S. out of the Depression with aims towards providing for the first in. 1960S as the & # x27 ; golden age of consumerism centered the! Celebrating Black life on its own terms place became very Popular, among... Specific field of advertising and consumption emerged 1952 alone, 3.9 million babies were born and an of., Pros & Cons time frame of 1930 to 1960, discount targeting...: the fear that spending would lead to decadence. `` & Cons,! Their wallets and purses full, many Americans sought to build a peaceful and prosperous.... Continue to form our modern day consumerist Society on its own terms frame of 1930 to 1960 discount. 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Frontier Speech & Program | What are gender Roles intangible, still people can perceive its in! The production and selling of goods went up such as food,,. Goals of higher education and affordable home loans home helped alleviate traditional American with... More than $ 1 billion a year., still people can its... Gender Roles born and an average of 4 was characterized by a boom in consumerism, which focuses the... This period and continue to Buy when possible and advocate for more government involvement in 1950s! Who skated around to collect money What are gender Roles in the quality and of... Benefits of capitalism at that time were independent, mom-and-pop operations, fashion was a source for family programming dramas! People consider the 1950s simply driving from one location to another the 1940s, fashion was time. And 1960s devastation of the good ol days production and inspection of goods of many types of goods of advertising... 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