The Postwar Boom 1945-1960 Part II

Down the Nile in my Maidenform Bra

New ways of selling in the Postwar Boom

• Like most industries during the period advertising boomed with mergers and offices in other countries opening and an expansion of services like research, sales analysis, package design and publicity
• Marketplace was cluttered with products and competition so companies advertised more
• Lifestyle Marketing (segmenting the market based on spending patterns-psychographics ) emerged -advertisers now appealed to specific incomes, lifestyles and interests
• New magazines for specific groups provided lifestyle targets
• i1949 Lloyd Warner published Social Class in America looking at consumption patterns. From this marketers recommended targeting "Mrs Middle Majority" who lived in a narrow world of the home- this increased ads with women looking after husband, kids and home

Motivational research- satisfying hidden desires- Ernest Dichter

Motivational research examined what made people make choices on the subconscious and unconscious levels and became popular in the 40s and 50s "There were three main schools of motivational research or MR, but it was primarily an ad man named Ernest Dichter whose ideas gained widest circulation. Dichter relied heavily on psychoanalytical interpretation drawn from consumers in "depth interviews" --and projective tests where thoughts and emotions were studied vs. recording a person's verbal response. Depth interviews were free conversations pointed in the general direction of the problem and its components. The purpose was to learn what was on the individual's mind, to determine the feeling involved and to note anything that contradicted the expressed attitudes. Freudian interpretations dominated Dichter's analyses.For example, he emphasized that the effects of early toilet training explain consumer responses to things as diverse as toothpaste and donations for community projects. In 1946, after jobs with Chrysler, Procter & Gamble and an ad agency, Dichter founded the Institute of Motivational Research in New York. He defined MR as "qualitative research designed to uncover the consumer's subconscious or hidden motivations that determine purchase behavior." MR "rooted the selling act within the human personality," meshing with a contemporary interest in Freudianism and the individual's inner life. Dichter's theory was predicated on non-rational consumer choice. Humans were perceived as immature, ruled by irrational insecurity and motivated by erotic desires. MR pointed out the importance of egoistic and social needs as determinants of behavior." motivational research reduced motives to sex and security-advertisers added "value" to make their products more appealing source: http://www.moline-consulting.com/Reinventando/Pagines/conceptoDeLasMotivaciones.htm "Dichter’s case history is a fascinating mix of outlandish ideas and now-conventional solutions. To elevate typewriter sales, he suggested the machines be modelled on the female body, “making the keyboard more receptive, more concave”. People smoke, he explained, because it is both a sign of virility and a legitimate excuse to interrupt the day for a moment of pleasure, “comparable to sucking at the nipples of a gigantic world breast”. A phallic shape to lipstick increased sales by the way it offered a subconscious invitation to fellatio (“but one has to be careful not to go overboard and make the parallels too obvious,” Dichter cautioned)." (Source: Sex & Advertising: Retail Therapy, The Economist Dec 17, 2011)

Barbie, inventor Ruth Handler hired Dichter to market Barbie and it was he who advised her to make Barbie's Boobs Bigger. Read about Barbie Why Does the Barbie Obsession Live On? in aricle by Elizabeth Eaves in Forbes Jan 30, 2009

• Advertisers abandoned the old "reason why" copy outdated
• Camel used the line- "it's a psychological fact: Pleasure helps your disposition" (click to see an ad)
• Camel used the same line to attract women see Maureen O'Hara Psychological fact

From 1949 to 1969, Maidenform launched one of the longest running campaigns a historically successful bra advertisement campaign entitled, “ I Dreamed.” It caused much controversy But why did the “I Dreamed” advertisements generate so much attention? What was the secret behind their success? What was the company really trying to sell American females? According to motivational research it was " fulfillment of women's basic exhibitionist tendencies" " Maidenform played on women's desires to be in the upper class by giving women the idea that they would be able to make their dreams come true if they wore the right type of bra" Ida Rosenthal marketed the first Up-lift bra. The I dreamed campaign was written by Mary Fillius from a NY ad agency read more at http://historywired.si.edu/object.cfm?ID=294     see more of the Maidenform at http://youtu.be/VgwDJ_JH15U read about Maidenform then and later campaigns see Dreaming of Bras

• Psychologists teamed up with merchandisers to give packaging bold eye catching graphics; illustrations used seduction; product packages were tested out on consumers before release
• Companies expanded product lines. Proctor and Gamble brought out variations on their products- Crisco was bold and modern but Fluffo had a checkered table cloth design that looked homespun like grandma's

The Critics of Motivational Research

• Vance Packard released the Hidden Persuaders in 1957; he claimed that people were being manipulated through advertising using psychological techniques' he claimed that 2/3rds of biggest advertisers were using subliminal techniques. He reported on the famous Vicary research Read more about Vance Packard and the effect of Subliminal Seduction at http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/22/subliminal-advertising.html
• Subliminal techniques mean that the message is below the level of consciousness

Television for the Masses

• Initially there were three commercial networks in US- NBC, ABC, CBS
• Network service in 1948 was to midwest and east coast and then to west coast in 1951
• Similar to radio, TV networks began as producers and transmitters with advertising controlling the programs
• Advertisers sponsored programs and thus controlled how their ads were inserted

Philip Morris owned "I Love Lucy"; ( see a print ad with Lucy and Philip Morris at http://www.lucilleball.net/collection/ads/pm.be.wise.jpg ) General Mills sponsored "Betty Crocker's Star Matinee;" Dutch Master cigars sponsored "Ernie Kovacs Show" Read more http://ezinearticles.com/?I-Love-Lucy-History-Goes-on-Making-History&id=1525551 The I Love Lucy Show mirrored the stereotypical view of women : " In the fifties, as women were assuming household roles once again, the Ricardos followed the rules: Ricky was the breadwinner, Lucy always answered to Ricky, was allotted only so much spending money per month for groceries and other household necessities, and was reprimanded when she overindulged and bought a new dress or hat. " (source: http://honors.umd.edu/HONR269J/projects/chang.html link no longer working) see Real Player I love Lucy intro http://www.tvparty.com/vault3/ilovelucy.ram see the famous chocolate scene

• In 1947 Kraft Television Theatre debuted
  • "Produced by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, this live anthology drama was designed to mesh with Kraft's overall marketing strategy, which stressed the concept of "gracious living," an appeal to middle class, suburban, family values."

About the same time 1947-1960 Howdy Doody Time debuted 5 days a week on NBC for kids http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/howdydoodys/howdydoodys.htm See the Howdy Doody Show clip and a Kelloggs promo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIslhp9vqqw Three children's shows CAPTAIN VIDEO, SPACE CADET and SPACE PATROL provided a wide range of space toys. Most toys were premiums offered by the sponsors of the programs. For a boxtop and 25 cents, or thereabouts, kids could get some really amazing things like secret decoder rings to play with. Boxtop premiums had a long history, beginning with radio adventure series in 1920s continuing into the 1940s, then transferring fairly seamlessly to TV television. See a 60 minute episode of Captain Video

• 1948 Ed Sullivan Show debuted on CBS and became a Sunday night success for 23 years
  • "The Ed Sullivan Show reflected an era of network television when a mass audience and, even, a national consensus seemed possible. Sullivan became talent scout and cultural commissar for the entire country."
• 1948 Texaco Star Theatre (later the Milton Berle show) debuted and became the biggest sensation ; the show was opened and closed by 4 Texaco servicemen singing "You can trust your car to the man who wears the star" See Elvis on Milton Berle tYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50UPDSoe-tY

1949 John Cameron Swayze anchored 15 minute Camel News Caravan "U.S. pioneering newscaster who gained fame "hopscotching the world for headlines" on "Camel News Caravan" and Timex watch pitchman who assured consumers that "it takes a licking and keeps on ticking" In Swayze's contract was a requirement that a cigarette always be burning on camera, whether Swayze was smoking it or not -source formerly at http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/media.cfm?mediaID=34995 This was the original product placement in TV journalism. During The Camel News Caravan, Swayze would puff on a Camel cigarette during commercial breaks with the smoke visible over his shoulders as he came back on the air. Perhaps the most important person in television news from the era was Edward R Murrow The lobby of the CBS building has a plaque "He set standards of excellence that remain unsurpassed." During his 25-year career he made more than 5000 broadcasts; and more than anyone else, he invented the traditions of television news. The recent 2005 movie Good Night and Good Luck is the story of Edward Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and his HUAC committee. Read about Murrow http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/murrowedwar/murrowedwar.htm

• By 1954 TV was leading medium for advertising; in 1950 9% had TV by 1960- almost 100%

What was a commercial endorsement at the time?

• First TV ads were read live ; like on radio. The host or celebrity read, sung or talked about products.
• Stars of the day like Dinah Shore for Chevrolet (see Dinah Chevrolet to hear her or see http://www.archive.org/details/DinahandPat to see a Chevrolet commercial that makes fun of subliminal ads), Polly Bergen for Pepsi and Ozzie and Harriet for Coca Cola were the spokespeople

1953 The TV Dinner Arrives

• The exact origin of TV dinners is in dispute, but according to many the concept of frozen TV dinners arose after Thanksgiving in 1952. Swanson was left with unsold turkey and no room for storage. To keep the food from spoiling, it was packed in refrigerated railroad cars which traveled the rail lines from coast to coast. Each of the 10 railroad cars carried 52,000 pounds of unsold turkey. Gerry Thomas, the inventor of the frozen dinner, got the idea for the product after seeing aluminum trays being tested by the airline industry for in-flight meals.
• 1953 Swanson TV dinners caught on with millions of women working outside the home to save the time in meal preparation. The growing popularity of the television added to the interest. Families carried meals on TV Dinner Trays into the living room to watch TV
• Cartoons and sci-fi movies were on around dinner time in the '50s and '60s, kids hated to tear themselves away
• The TV dinner made life easier for homemakers, empowered kids and changed family dynamics and diets.
• Swanson sold 55 million TV dinners in 1954, at a time when there were only 33 million TV sets in America.
• See more on the History of TV Dinners at http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/tvdinner.html

Animated Ads

1948 the first animated commercial -Ajax Pixies for Ajax appeared Three energetic pixies flitted about kitchens and bathrooms cleaning dirty surfaces with Ajax Ajax introduced TVs first jingle "You'll stop paying the elbow tax, when you start cleaning with Ajax." The pixies (a fat, a thin and a tall pixie all under three-inches in height) interacted with live-action shots and with lines as "Foams as it cleans," "Cuts grease fast" and "Floats the dirt right down the drain.".

• see Lucky Strike's animated marching cigarettes and Lucky Strike's square dancing cigarettes
• with Real Player see the Flintstones selling Winston Cigarettes at http://www.tvparty.com/vault3/flintbig2.ram

The Quiz Shows - TV like radio before likes Games

Queen For A Day-- How weird could this be? Hosted by Jack Bailey from 1956-1962 on NBC, Queen For a Day saw poor bedraggled women telling their tales of woe. The winner - the most pathetic - got prizes. Just what some woman who had lost everything needed- a refrigerator. See an episode here http://youtu.be/ZzyhpBkdtZ0

What's happening on the Radio?- Let's go Top 40! and target segments!

• Viewers and advertisers moved to TV,so radio made changes moving to Top 40 formats changing from mass audience to specifically segmented audiences easy to target based on age, taste/lifestyle, and location for advertisers

Four Creative Philosophies

• Four leading ad men emerged: Rosser Reeves, Leo Burnett , David Ogilvy, Bill Bernbach
• Ads were moving away from product features and focusing on product image/personality

Rosser Reeves -The HARD Sell -USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

Rosser Reeves work at Ted Bates New York emphasized science, research with a repetition of a single theme Work was a throwback to era when goal was to get attention not entertain UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION- USP "The consumer tends to remember just one thing from an advertisement-one strong claim, or one strong concept" He didn't overestimate attention span or intelligence of audience; concept was buy this for this reason selling point would be one that competition didn't and couldn't make Unique Selling Proposition (USP) examples; "Wonder bread helps build bones eight ways" "M&Ms melt in your mouth not in your hands" How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S" his ads often featured actors in white coats playing doctors; these eventually were reigned in by the Federal Trade Commission Reeves also used TV and his USP theories to successfully promote Dwight Eisenhower see inside link Rosser Reeves Selling the President

"Anacin, the pain reliever that doctors recommend most"

 

Leo Burnett- Inherent Drama

Leo Burnett of Chicago focused his pitch on the product not contests, premiums or sex his focus was information, good art, recipes and humour he looked for what made products stay in the market place- the" inherent drama" through warmth, shared emotions and experiences unlike Rosser he empathized with the audience using characters from folklore (archetypes) and jingles strong, simple, and instinctive imagery friendly ads. Jolly Green Giant, Charlie the Tuna, Morris the Cat, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger, other Kellogg's cartoons and The Marlboro man were conceived at Leo Burnett. Burnett made the Jolly Green Giant more appealing by replacing his bearskin for a leafy suit, giving him a smile, and placing him in the friendly Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. Burnett chose the ideal macho stereotype cowboy to represent his Marlboro man History of Marlboro Man at http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/ features/patc/marlboroman/ See and hear some of Burnett's philosophy

1952

 

David Ogilvy -The Image and Science

Ogilvy was a researcher turned writer who looked to Claude Hopkins scientific claim and Rubicam's image ideas he believed people would buy product not for product but what they associate with it- the brand image was all important he focused on high priced, high status products like Rolls Royce, Hathaway Shirts the Rolls Royce ad to the right ran in two newspapers and two magazines, yet was so widely known and admired that its headline -- "At Sixty Miles an Hour, the Loudest Noise in this New Rolls Royce Comes from the Electric Clock" -- now represents David Ogilvy in the Oxford Book of Quotations. Ogilvy immersed himself in Rolls-Royce data, which made up most of the body copy. The famous headline came from a specific, obscure piece of testing data from the factory illustrating his faith in research For Hathaway shirts he created the stylish man with a patch creating a man of mystery

 

Bill Bernbach - The New Advertising

Bill Bernbach of Doyle, Dane Bernbach New York used a fresh style for second rank products and services turning being second into an advantage at most agencies copy came before art, but Bernbach had the artist and writer work together One of his clients was Ohrbach's, a low-priced department store competing against stores with large ad budgets. One of the Ohrbach's ads- a cat with a high-fashion hat and cigarette holder saying, "I found out about Joan," followed by text about a woman who had discovered the value of shopping at Ohrbach's. The ad became a pinup for copywriters. in the ad to the right copy reads "bring in your wife and just a few dollars ...and we will give you a new woman" http://adage.com/century/people001.html he also worked on the successful Volkswagen campaign- see the ads at read about the Ohrbach ads athttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-cracknell/mad-men-ads_b_1305136.html

 

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