Monday, 16 April 2012

History of Advertising //Lecture 10

Things to take away:

An understanding of:
-Key points in the historical narrative presented.
-The contexts (historical, political, economic etc.) in which modern advertising emerged (UK).
-Aspects of advertising strategy.
-Linked to the lecture Social Media and Communication that looks at the impact of New Media.
-The importance of soap.

The beginning:
-Large-scale colour printing technology developed 19c
-Led to the soap ads for Lever Brothers
-These ads and the strategies initiated by Lever point towards creative advertising giants, Bernbach -(DDB) and Hegarty (BBH).

The branding of sooap for Lever Brothers meant the first integration of art & technology
‘an area of art history neglected … where art and technology meet’ (Elton, 1968, pvii)


1851 Great Exhibition
‘Colour printing on a larger scale was not practiced until well into the nineteenth century…with the publications generated by the Great Exhibition of 1851’

'An essential component of any competitive market economy: driving growth and dynamism'

Pre-packaging (Lewis, 2008)
1860s cereal companies figured out how to print, fold & fill cardboard boxes mechanically.
John & William Kellogg

Soap
Soap was sold in long bars to grocers, who stamped (with stamp of  maker) and sliced up. The first tablet of soap - ‘I was the first to advertise extensively [and pre-package] a tablet of soap...the result was I lifted Sunlight soap to a class by itself’ (Lever in Lewis, 2008, p62) This added brand value through advertising.

How Lever changed things:
-(b1851) Height of the Empire. International trade routes established
- International exhibition. Prompted large-scale colour printing.
-Ad boom fuelled by tax reliefs in 1850s & 60s.
-Pre-packaging technology 1860s
-Co. founder Lever Bros
-1880s colour images and reproductions in magazines.
-1890s reproduction of paintings possible.

First Multinational
Advertising transformed company from a local soap manufacturer in 1885 to one of the world's first multinationals and the largest corporation in Britain by 1930.

‘Colourful, innovative advertising was crucial to Lever’s success’ 
(Port Sunlight Museum, 2009)

Why were Lever's ads successful?
The soap men’s extensive use of contemporary paintings in their advertising is a case in point. (Lewis, 2008, p65)
Used in Sunlight soap ad with copy ‘So Clean’
Copyright (Lever)
White linen (sign)
Child (sign)

First creative advertising
A Dress Rehearsal (1888)  Albert Chevallier Tayler

-Selecting and presenting contemporary art works (RA) communicated more powerfully a desired message.
-Message was told in an interesting and innovative way.
-Imagery provided a spectacle and entertainment.
-By adding simple endlines, Lever managed to change the meaning of images to his advantage.
-Distinct from other advertising that had gone before.
-Encouraged consumers to collect vouchers and save for prints of the ads.


Promotions methods include:
-Capturing the children for example with free toys
-Targeting mothers - Dove soap, rethink beauty
-Collectable coupons

Lever World Domination:
-20c Lever used different international agencies.
-Domestic and imperial markets Britishness suited all.
-Royal connections, national and imperial imagery
-Context of thousands of ads trading on Britannia, Where the British flag flies, Dunlop Tyres are paramount’(1902) (Lewis, 2008, p78)

Imperial Mission Lewis:
-To civilize
-No commodity aided more this than soap.
-Wash and clothe the native and cleanse the great unwashed of British working classes.
-I-n Britain advertising posters, packaging brought to a wide audience the notion of imperialism as benign  (Lewis, 2008, p79)
-Empire was celebrated on biscuits, cigarettes, soap, chocolate: part of the working class fabric.

-Victorians conquered the world & problem of corporeal aromas.
-Sanitary achievements drains, sewage & soap.
-Advertisers made it their business to persuade  consumers of their hygiene problems.

Summary
-This history Wight (R4)- library,  So Clean  Lewis (2008) Sunlight Vision and Alice in Wonderland exhibitions. Focus on the beginning.
-Included historical, political, economic and technological contexts which enabled Lever’s modern advertising to emerge.
-Colour printing and reproduction technological developments 19c.
-Creative advertising strategy, art and copy.
-Advertising principles truth and entertainment.
-The importance of advertising to an economy, soap to imperialism.
Social Media and Communication, impact of New Media on advertising and creativity.

More links I have founds:
http://mashable.com/2011/12/26/history-advertising/
http://www.hatads.org.uk/
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1905530,00.html

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