Advertising In The 1950's

By 1950, television already proved a crucial part to American society. Resulting in the ending of WWII, production and sales of the television boomed, sending it straight into the homes of over 55 million Americans. As the economy prospered and prices dropped, the television became an even more pivotal part to almost every American life. As no other informational sources had ever proved as effective as the television, the results in American society were astounding. In reaction to such an influential medium of information, large marketing companies used a variety of schemes to appeal to all aspects of society, politics utilized their new source of penetration into American life, and regional barriers became irrelevant and unrecognizable. The

American people became washed in over 5.7 billion dollars worth of advertising in 1950 alone. These new ways of marketing became foreign, allowing the American people to easily succumb to all of the enticing products that advertising developed. Larger corporations began exhibiting their own uses of “Unique Selling Proposition”, urging advertisers to differentiate their products from all other campaigns which plagued the market. Marketing experts began exposing buyers to shorter, more appealing slogans. This lead influential corporations to begin marketing their products as the “fastest”, “most effective”, and “highly acclaimed” products that the nation had to offer. In reaction to this, masses of consumers plummeted into “consumption anxiety”. This forced consumers to purchase excessive amounts of unnecessary goods out of fear that previous purchases had been deemed unfit. This constant feeling of inferiority towards both the marketing campaign and the products within the American home set pace for the ever evolving marketing strategies in years to

Politicians quickly utilized this new found source of power, using television broadcasts to reach all corners of the country. As television sales soared, multiple highly renowned politicians took advantage of the most popular source, reaching millions of citizens in matters of minutes. Politician Dwight D. Eisenhower used television broadcasting in order to appeal to his voters across the nation. Eisenhower used commercials such as his “I Like Ike” campaign to amplify American excitement, as well as their obsession with lightheartedness and love for childhood jingles. However, Eisenhower also proved capable of appealing to more serious voters. Eisenhower televised the first fireside chats and news conferences, establishing his political campaign to all parts of the nation. In addition to this, he began depicting himself as the hero who would “clean up Washington”. Eisenhower presented key ideals to the entire nation through his television campaigns which enhanced his approval ratings and landed him a significant victory. In 1959, Senator John F. Kennedy warned the possible destruction of live speeches, stating that television could be “abused by demagogues by appeals to prejudice and ignorance.” Skepticism of upcoming politicians rose, and Kennedy now handed the American people the newfound opportunity to seek trustworthy candidates for themselves. Nationwide broadcasting not only provided