OUGD501. RESUBMISSION. FINAL ESSAY. + ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPH.

When was the golden age of advertising,can it be true that it's now?

by Greta Medelyte

Level 5

BAGD

Advertising has become an eminent part of peoples daily lives. It is and has always been one of the most powerful tools of persuasion as well as the one of the most influential parts of the creative industry. Nevertheless creatives and consumers seem to be looking back to the past as the time when advertising was at it’s peak. The golden age of advertising appears to leave nostalgic feelings and even create inspiration for both audiences. People expect the golden age of advertising to be without a doubt unrepetitive, less unpleasant, full of creativeness, in general just ‘better’. Although if given a question when the golden age of advertising actually was - many presume it differently. There are many sources claiming different eras of advertising to be the golden age.  And yet there is one agreement that it has started with the creative revolution and continued through till the 70’s. My intention is to analyse the different eras  between the 50’s and 70’s and understand how it has influenced nowadays advertising. Also research into the persuasion behind advertising in these different eras and compare it to the leading creative industry of the 21’s century. It might give us the answer  does the golden age of advertising still continues through the decades into now?

The 1960’s and early 70’s is thought to be the golden age of advertising. As much as creative advertisers would like to think that it is a creative revolution stimulated by genius creative minds as nothing before - we might underestimate the power of circumstances? There is more to advertising than just plain images. In order to understand the power and how effective the times - there is a crucial importance to understand the history of that time. Was the 1960’s the best time for a creative revolution ? Of course, with the help of President Kennedy and his economy growth plan things improved vastly in U.S.. In early 1963 inflation was stable, corporate profits were at a record high, and the stock market had rebounded, but unemployment was still too high at 5.7 percent. As the corporate sales increased and new bussnises were developed so did the competition. Advertising was needed more than ever before. The modern days brought revolution in the way people shopped and ate,even forms of entertainment have changed as well as loads of new brands launched off. The circumstances were perfect for advertising to flourish. Although the media platforms were limiting (compared to nowadays)that was not an issue for great copywriters. The ad agencies provided not only the ads but the spaces for the advertisements bought from the publishers of magazines and newspapers (‘The real mad men’,2011).That made the game easier for advertisers and harder for the clients that had to fully depend on the ad agency. Only from 1969 George P. Rowell released the first comprehensive guide to media rates, in which case it meant that advertising agancies had to depend on their creativity more than before. Which launched off the platform for great and talented creative minds and copywriters. A huge contribution of 60’s being called the creative revolution was the sexy, brave and outrageous lifestyle conveyed into ads and running alongside within the agencies. The way we perceive the 1960’s as the golden age of advertising might be because of the public figures that came from that age such as George Lois, Roger Sterling and many other advertising giants that hit the world in 1960’s. It might be one of the consequences of having more individualism and more structure within the agencies. The ownership of idea was clearer than it is right now. Matt Nelson from Tribal DDB claims ‘every member of our team is creative and we believe a good idea can come from anywhere’. That means that there is less ownership over idea because the ideas are shared and changed and developed by many people.Which is one of the differences from the early 60’s and the 21^st century, although that concept of an add agency working as one big creative team appears later on in the 60’s. Bill BernbachwhoopenedDoyle Dane Bernbach was the first add agent to think of a revolutionary idea and  pair the art director and copywriter at his agency. Art directors contributed headlines and copywriters began thinking visually, combining to create a superior output.‘The business of advertising wasn’t without it’s principles and principled people’ (‘The real mad men’,2011) such said explains the character and one man drive in early 60’s. It seems that the the times were more opinionated and driven by one man than as it is now, not only creative are more collaborative and ready for compromise but the clients too.In the 60’s People were looking for heroes - those who would influence change not only within the society but within the times as well. However it seems those heroes were very good at their craft of persuasion and manipulation. They didn’t just change the the world they re-constructed it by transforming human behaviour and the way people saw and thought about objects or brands. In the 50’s when the threat of atomic bomb change the consumers by speeding up the technological development suddenly everyone was ‘out with the old and in with the new’. Advertisers used the threat of the nuclear age and the American urge to see what lies in the future as a selling point. Cars looked longer and were faster, they also became a sign of social status. For example Cadillac used slogans as ‘The ultimate sign of achievement’ or ‘It gives a man a new outlook’( Ed. Jim Heimann, 2001). In the early 50’s the advertisers understood the needs, the fears and the wants of the consumers and started using them as a tool for selling the products which are still used in the 21’s century advertisement. As well it shows that the great tools of advertisement were used before the 60’s and so it contradicts the statement of the 60’s being the golden age of advertisement.

There appears to be more controversies about the golden age of advertising being 1960’s as the TV series ‘Mad Men’ appear to made the whole nation believe. The 1950’s also sometimes referred as the golden age because of the absolutely amazing and genius (might not be good but still brilliant) cigarette advertising methods.Tobacco advertising was banned in mid 60’s in UK, beginning of 70’s in US and only early 90’s in whole Europe. As strange as it may seem but the most recognizable and memorable cigarette advert ‘The Marlboro man’ even for the generations to come. The Marlboro man campaign created by Leo Burnett became national in 1955 and increased Marlboro sales up to $5 billion and kept increasing each year until 1964, the company revived the cowboy but this time he was in mythical Marlboro Country by the time TV ads were banned in 1971 (US), Leo Burnett launched a printed version of the campaign and in 1971 Marlboro cigarettes became the no.1 cigarette brand in the world. The cigarette campaign was based around the idea of a free American iconic man, there was power, passion and control reflected in one iconic advertisement. The picture of the ‘ultimate man’ was the selling point of Marlboro in America. Even when the cigarette commercials were band the Marlboro man stayed in peoples mind for decades.Nevertheless in early 50’s Marlboro had a different set audience that for 21’s century generation is an absolute shocker (in mind that cigarettes at those times were presumably healthy). A promotional leaflets with babies referring to their smoking mothers (add picture later) stating to enjoy their cigarette and calm down. Yet again this kind of adverts are brilliant in showing how far the add men were willing to go in order to get their odiances smoking the brand that they wanted. Now we have more limitations and that not only includes Tobacco. Some commercials can only be shown after a certain hour, there are considerations to ban ads that are directed to children. All these limitations although with a purpose but in some extent limit creative freedom and sometimes trap good adds from being released. There is so much to consider these days; religion, race, sex and many more not to be provoked oroffended. Just recently a poster promoting an energy drink called ‘pussy’ was baned. The ad campaign, which used the strapline "The drink's pure, it's your mind that's the problem" alongside the word "pussy" in large type, attracted almost 160 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority and later on was banned. That has happened in early days as well. In 1974, the U.S. Department of justice  brought an artistic lawsuit over the campaign ‘Reach out and touch someone’ where they used a wordplay with the word ‘Hello’ and ‘Halo’. Later in the year the adverts got even more provocative and disturbing when added a mother that has just received a call from her dead son.

Considering the amount of media that we have right now and the technological development – there is a possibility that we might be living in the golden age of advertisement right now and yet without realising.Though it might seem that there are more restrictions than in previous ages. The ad world is drivenby client needs more than pure creativity. Then againthe more restrictions the creative face the more brilliant solutions they provide. That’s why there are viral and worldwide adds that are being released every day.Even though the advertising agency is full of ‘poisonous gas’ as George Lous claims himself and everyone knows that advertising lies, yet still it’s an industry that makes ideas happen and is yet brilian. The advertising agencies have developed in the most interesting and unexpected ways. starting from the roles of workers and ending in approaches or methods that are being used. Matt Nelson a member on DDB (well known advertising agency) says that ‘at Tribal DDB, every member of our team is creative and we believe a good idea can come from anywhere. Everyone’s a little bit of a strategist, account manager, new business person - yet each of us has our own specialized role based on an area of expertise. We work together, not in silos.’ Which just proves the point raised before that the clarity and ownership (in 1960’s) of idea has disappeared within the agency (21st cent), nevertheless there are still some companies that are known because of their art directors and yet no one like Leo Burnett or George Lois. Not only the structure in the agencies have changed but ranks and age perception as well when in 1960’s there were a lot of possibility for young talent to shine and develop nowadays we rarely see it, there is this cursed word called ‘experience’ that everyone is looking for and no-one provides. In 1960’s there was youth movement on the go,  a lot of talented young and motivated people and though there still is young talent  howeverthe way the industry and society perceives young (mid 20’s) people nowadays is different from what it was in mid 60’s.If you are mid 2

‘s in the advertising studio there is a need to prove yourself and make the impossible happen to become more than just an inter or a junior graphic designer.  Not only that but the consumer from 50’s/60’s has changed so much as Dan Wieden said in his interview for ‘2020 vision’ that the new generation of consumers are not going to sit there and except the products and messaging. They want to be part of the action and if the clients are smart they have to understand that they are not the president of communication system that they are one person in communication with millions of people so they have to listen. D.Wieden also raises the question of interaction and how new media is used in advertising, he explains that in order for the idea to work it has to be well delivered through a range of media. The problem with that is that consumers have developed their tastes and there are more of a targetedthan in any other era. It seems that we can only question advertising being the golden age now is that it’s everywhere. Althoughbad annoying advertisement was everywhere in the mid 60’s as well. People were bombarded with disturbing TV ads and didn’t appreciate that as well, so even in the so called ‘golden age of advertising’ consumers were annoyed with some of the booming adverts as it is now just through many different media. Even so though  there is a change happening because those annoying  adverts on TV are being more and more proved to be useless and ineffective – the only reason that is so is simple, they are just not memorable and boring, no matter how many times you show it.Presumably we are looking to a brighter disturbing ad-free times as soon as the clients understand the changes and except them or agencies take responsibility for their own creations. Funny enough this type of ‘annoying’ advertising was found in the 60’s as well ‘Times’ wrote that ‘the average american is now exposed to 10,000 TV commercials a year. As the number increases so do admen’s worries about ‘overexposure’.’ Rosser Reeves (an ad man in 1960’s) was the anti-Christ of annoying adverts. For example one was created purposely to annoy people to the point they would get a headache and the ad for Anacin was just that, obviously it worked because the sales increased. So the same problem existed in both eras showing that it’s not about how many bad and repetitive ads are being released. Eventualy the golden age of advertisement is about celebrating the adds that greatly changed and influenced the consumers as well as being highly intelligent and creatively done.

Coca-cola has been always known for amazing advertising through centuries let’s take a look how much better or maybe not the ad’s of the 50’s/ 60's/ 70’s and 21st century are and have been. Whiles tryingto figure out when was the golden age of advertising through this brand's advertising companies. In the 1950’s Asa Candler (the time president of Coca-Cola company) had an idea to promote coca cola as the drink for a break and refreshments which applied  well to their target audience who were mainly everyone working to rebuild the economy. ‘Work refreshed’ was the slogan for that company and at times it was received successfully. They delivered the message well through a range of different context. Coca cola advertisers understood the psychology of consumers and delivered what they needed the most in the most simple and direct messages. In the 60’s the times were overtaken by the worries of the Vietnam war and Free love period in which Coke contained the same message as in the 60’s though they included some jingles “Things go better with Coke’. There were a lot of celebrities involved in the campaign and it worked out on Coke’s favour. They celebrated another decade of success using the same tactics from previous age. In the late 1969, Coke came up with the slogan "The Real Thing." To go along with this slogan was a 1971 ad featuring a diverse group of young people.The ad is recognized by many people. It was filmed on an Italian hillside, and all of the people are singing the familiar songs: "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company. This ad held the ideals that Coke ads from years before have held. It had a world appeal, and it associated Coke with friendship. Coca cola has stuck to it’s persuasive symbols and continue on ‘fooling’ the audience into buoca cola has stuck to it’s persuasive symbols and continue on ‘fooling’ the audience into buying the best refreshment. As in my previous essay In 2013 Coka Cola once again hit the world with a powerfulcampaign, simple concept as sharing they turned into a massive obsession trough social media and real life experience proving that now more than ever the consumersinvolvement in the action is crucial. ‘Share a Coke’ campaign included the logo on the cans/bottles changed into popular name, shaking up the world to share the bottle with the person that the name is on. From the very launch of the campaign the acceptance was more than successful. The one thing that Coke has never forgotten was the world appeal and the awareness of of events in the world, that makes all of their advertising campaigns successful leaving us again with the same unanswered question. When was the golden age, or maybe it never passed?Clearly good advertisement it’s a trade that coca cola polished and nurtured. They have learnt about their audience, they have developed their selling points and they have adopted them to the time that it’s made for. One of the biggest persuaders in the world know how to sell: happiness, friendship and unity.

Another example of brilliant coca cola advertisement is in 1960’s tthey developed a new campaign and not only the campaign was new but the advertising company as well, after 50 years of collaboration with A’Darcy the coca-cola company changed to McCann-Erickson. As the new campaign was developed so the 1960’s became “Things Go Better with Coke”. For this campaign, there was a number  and quality of ads produced, and the number of top music stars involved.  This time the coca-cola not only delivered the message through a range of different contexts but every possible media for those times involving radio, TV, print, music production. Again big hit for the company that even in those days used the best of what they hadchanging the way people ate their food and the drink they chose to go with it. Later in the years they have adapted this idea into multicultural environment uniting the world and advertising world cuisine.

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As Professor Curti reveals, after 1953 when Printers Inc. announced that there will be more strategic approach to advertising by using social science and social scientists there has been and increasing emphasis on more sophisticated statistical analyzes.  Which created the need for ‘motivation research’ that investigated consumer behaviour towards certain types of products and most important the psychology behind consumer behaviour. It was in fact the platform for advertising to develop as a tool of persuasion. Starting from 50’s and continuing through to now. Maybe that is one of the reasons why advertising is believed to be ‘the golden age’ in this period of time. The debate of ‘tell versus sell’ and ‘inform versus manipulate’ has been probably most intense after the 50’s when public realised how much advertising can manipulate ‘human nature’ and change consumer behaviour. That leaves us questioning was there ever a ‘golden age’ of advertising or was it a made up fairytale maybe even a perspective as some people mightsee ‘the golden age of advertising’ as a opportunity for mass manipulation. Jami Oetting from Agency Post wrote an article on the golden age of advertising in which he states that the golden age is relative. The opportunities that creative advertisers talk about from early 50’s, 60’s or 70’s still exist and there still is a real ‘Mad Man’ lifestyle out there. Maybe lines by Derek Smith “Of course Count Rossi sent his speed boat to meet us in Venice for the martini shoot” are not as often in this constant ‘turbulence’ ear we live in. Then again there are still opportunities and great yet again manipulative advertising being created as it was earlier in the days.

The upcoming generation might call the 21st century the golden age of advertising while we think it was the 50-70’s. There is no way to determine on which era was better and how or why it should classed as the golden age in advertising. They were all different technologically, economically and politically.The understanding of consumers, persuasion methods and necessity of the curaint affair appeal grew with each era making it better than the one before.There apparently seems a consistency of ‘bad’ advertising through all the decades, the problem of repetitive and disruptive advertising has existed in any age of advertising, even more in the 21’s century which shows that it’s not the bad advertising that makes the golden age. Seemingly there is a change coming this way as Dan Wieden predicts, he also predicts the return of great advertising which as is happening right now. There has been many theories stating that different times of period was the ‘golden age’ of advertising many of which were believed to be the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s but  many advertisers believe the ‘golden age’ to be NOW. It is left for us to be the judges of when the golden age really was or is.As a consideration I am going to quote ‘Midnight in Paris’ ‘Nostalgia is denial - denial of the painful present... the name for this denial is golden age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one ones living in - its a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.’

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