Post #5: Advertising Techniques of Yesterday and Today – Part 1

Today, we have come to a point in which we see ads everywhere. Advertising companies have become experts in subtle persuasion, using our own psychies against us. They take advantage of our emotions as well as our society’s cultural stereotypes, and all in ways so subtle it’s difficult to notice unless you’re really looking for it. When studying different ads for different products ranging from the early 1900s to the present, I realized how much ads can really reflect how a society thinks and views certain things – in ways they probably don’t even realize. What surprises me most, I think, is discovering how after an entire century of our country’s growth and reform, we really still haven’t changed that much at all. It’s a peculiar question to ponder… Has our society really changed much at all? Have our psychologies and beliefs about things – like how our society views and portrays women – really all that different than they were in he early 20th century? When studying different adverising techniques used for different products one of the main things I noticed was that advertising techniques didn’t really seem to change much over time; they still advertised towards the same audiences and portayed much of the same messages. So in the end I guess that means that though very many changes have occured in our country since the 20th century, the psychology of how we think as people hasn’t and probably will never really change…

 Let’s take the example of how women are portrayed by looking at different women’s cosmetic products and perfume ads. In this area, advertisers would appeal to a woman’s desire to look young and sexy, despite her age. That is why older woman who are beautiful are shown as apposed to younger women. They also appeal to sexuality, often showing a woman with a very appreciative and attentive man in the background, holding the woman. In this way, the ads are silently appealing to both men and women. The man would want to be pleased as such and the woman would want to please…

1) The first add (click here to view) is a 1929 Marie Barlow Cosmetics ad titled “YOU can be Youthful”. This add shows a beautiful woman at the front and appeals to the desire to look young, and in effect by showing women and men ballroom dancing energetically and youthfully in the backround, it hints that by looking young you can also feel and maybe even become young again. Go back to the days of youthful energy, dancing, and craefree flirting and fun. This is definitely a technique still used today, the thought that cosmetics can make a woman look younger.

2) The second add  (click here to view) is a 1998 Chanel No. 5 ad. This one is much more simple and has no writing, but portrays the same general message we see all the time with cosmetics and perfume ads: use me and you can look just as beautiful and sexy as this woman. It’s also sensual in a way and the use of black and white for the woman and then color for the perfume is interesting. Perhaps this subtly implies that using the perfume can somehow bring “color” into your dull black and white world…

3) One of the most popular techniques used with advertising women’s products is showing how appreciative and responsive a man would be to a woman who used that product. She would become more sexy, beautiful, kissable, lovable… and this would be an appealing concept both to the woman who wants to please and the man who wishes to be pleased (and may as a result buy this product as a gift for his woman). This is shown in both the 1947 Dryad Cream Deoderant ad titled “New Way to be Sweet to Love” (click here to view) and the 1998 Elizabeth Arden Splendor ad (click here to view). The Dryad ad’s title speaks for itself. It shows a beautiful woman being kissed and loved by a man. It is sweet and sensual. The Splendor perfume ad also shows a beautiful woman being held close by a man in a sensual way, maybe about to kiss. The ad is shown as if it is the cover of a movie, and the supposed critics’ reviews written on the side in quotes say “A Fragrance Sensation”, “A Sparkling Love Story”, “Wonderfully Romantic”… and at the bottom of the ad it reads “Sometimes there’s a moment when everything comes together… a moment of Splendor.” The slogan is a catchy one, and the critics’ reviews spell out the mood of the ad and implies that the perfume will cause this “wonderfully romantic” “sparkling love story” scene to occur.               

They key thing to remember with advertising is that every little detail in an adverisement is added for a purpose. Little things like the placement of ads, their size, the colors used, the amount of text vs. pictures, the font types and sizes used – all these things and more influence how we see an add…

Continue to read more about the portrayal of women in ads in my other blog post “Advertising Techniques of Yesterday and Today – Part 2″

Post #3: Alas, freedom rings…

To my beloved mother,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happyness…”

These words were eloquently carved into the massive doors of the Town Hall (the villagers here call it “The Jamy”). Below it was written: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” 

The minute I read those words on that door, I knew I had finally found where I belong. My suspicions were confirmed after I had a chance to attend the town meeting and meet some of the people who lived in the area. You would not believe all the different people who live here, working together for a common cause. I met a wealthy landowner and his wife who had a large house up north. They told me of their three little children – two girls and one boy, the oldest. They were out playing in the parks surrounding the Hall. Another man was a farmer who I was told grew the best corn you could find anywhere. I met a woman who was a nurse at the nearby town clinic. She said she lived on her own in a small cottage not too far from the Hall. I was surprised to hear that but she said her nearby neighbors help her out, always checking on her. It brought tears to my eyes to see the sense of community here. A young boy with large calloused hands and a greasy face chatted with an older looking tired black man. I was told that the black man worked as a helping hand on one of the farms and that the boy worked in one of the factories across the river.

When the town meeting began, I sat and listened as the men debated minor issues of the town. They discussed an increase in taxes, talked about building more roads, and asked for volunteers for the upcoming town festival. Even a few of the woman present participated in debate and voted on issues along with everyone else. I was told that all men of or above the age of 16 and woman of or above the age of 21 who have been residents of the town for at least 4 months are allowed to vote. It is quite miraculous, so many different peoples all working together to help each other build a better community! This, mother, is what freedom should look like. This is what our country is all about, what we fought so hard to achieve. 

It seems like only yesterday that I left home in search of a better place. I knew that I could never gain what I wanted until  I had done so. It has been a long journey, and I have travelled from one town to another, seeing every type of society from the socialist to the capitalist to the vehemently religious. All were oddly lacking in the one fundamental principle that had driven them to establishing that community in he first place: freedom… The cause that had once united us to fight in order to form this great country has now only left us divided. Yet it is in this one little town that I have finally found solice. It is called Jamy’na, named after its founders the Jamy’een. I am told that its meaning is derived from the ancient Arabic word “Jamy’ “ meaning “to bring together.” It is a name pefectly suited, and I can only hope that it can do the same for us. One day, mother, I will bring you to see this little town and I am sure you will fall in love with it as I have. Until then, I have enclosed a drawing of our little town for you to see for yourself a bit of what it is like.

As you can see, in the very heart of the town is the Jamy. All major town activities are done in this building, everything from the regular town meetings, to any religious activities or services, to court cases and solving small disputes. The parks surround the Jamy and provide for wide open spaces where kids can run and play while their parents socialize and attend the town meetings or religious services. Also nearby are the schools and the town clinic. The farmers live in the eastern and southern parts of town where they grow and sell their crops. Further off across the river are the factories where the raw materials are manufactured and goods are shipped back and forth. The wealthiest of folk live up north. Meanwhile in the northwest and the western parts of town are who we call the “urban-folk.” They are more industrialized and generally either work in a factory or run their own small businesses. As you can see, though, the town is a bit iscolated from any surrounding societies by woods – especially on the western side. This, however, brings us closer together and forces us to rely more fully on one another.

I have currently settled into a tiny house in the southwest and am learning to become a part of the society here. I will write as often as I am capable and will tell you everything. Alas, in this tiny little town of Jamy, freedom rings true – and its sound is music to my ears. I have only you to thank, mother, for all my successes. I send you my love and you are, of course, always in my prayers. Until I can write again, my best wishes. Signed, Your loving son Jacob.      

WANTED: Runaway Slaves and Servants

For as long as there has been forced labor, paid or unpaid, there have been those who have tried to escape it. Though there is much we still don’t know know about the slave movements of the past, one way we can try to learn about them is by tracking old newspaper WANT ads. Though these articles are, of course, written by white men, the facts they entertain can give us a better idea of when, where, and who escaped most frequently. I myself studied and read dozens of different articles located on the online database The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. To check out the website yourself go to http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/.

Most of the WANT ads followed a similar structure. The “subscriber” to the ad would state the time and place from which the laborer had escaped, followed by his or her name, age, hight, a description of the runaway’s physical features, any distinguishable or unique marks, scars, etc. and an account of what he or she was last wearing before they ran away.  Then if the author has any idea as to the plans of the runaway, they would state them, followed by a warning, mostly to the “masters of vessels,” to not allow them to board. Finally they would state the reward and the name of the subscriber. Though articles varied in order, detail and length, this was the general content.

Dividing the runaways into three general categories, from 1736-1763, from 1764-1786, and from 1787-1803, I was able to generally notice what things seemed to change and what things did not seem to change about the runaways and their articles. Peculiarly there were actually many similarities between all the runaways throughout the years. The first things I noticed was that, first, they were mostly men, though I suppose that was expected. The second thing was that they were, also expectedly, mostly slaves rather than servants, though there were many runaway servants as well. They were also mostly around the same ages. Though most of the time the laborers exact age was unknown the author would usually state that they were about 20, 30, or 40 years old. Ages rarely dropped below 20 or rose above 40. They also seemed to run away more commonly in the summer months, between March and August, with August being a particularly common one. This leads me to believe that the summer was the most suitable time period for travel and that men around the age of 30 were the strongest and mot capable of escape. Most escapees took nothing withthem but the clothes on their back and perhaps some extra clothing as well. Others may have stolen a horse, gun, money, books and writing-paper, or cloths and linnings. They sometimes carried forged passes or took companions with them, often planning to board a vessel or use their skills to disguise themselves as sailors, blacksmiths, or shoe-makers. In the later years (mostly 1787-1803) runaways usually planned to disguise themselves as freemen.

In articles, runaways were often described by their color as being either yellow, black, or very black. They almost always had scars on their backs or faces and were often described as having pretty good English skills, which I suppose could be an important asset for escapees. This however was not always the case.

Another thing that was also very interesting was that, as the years went on, descriptions of the runaways’ actual character, habits, and personality seemed to increase (mostly 1764 and onwards.) Subscribers often described runaways as being notorious liars, villains, felons, wenches, rogues, very deceitful, etc. On the other side of the spectrum, though, were others that were very commonly being described as remarkably sensible, smart, artful, and cunning. Many were said to have a “smiling countenance.” They also described their habits (usually drinking habits), such as one Negro servant who was described as being “apt to get drunk then to ridicule the country in general.”

Most runaway slaves and servants, despite their age, sex, and serving status seemed to generally cost about the same amount when it came to rewards, for they did not seem to vary too greatly. About 1736-1760, the reward was usually one or two pistoles, and sometimes four or five. In the 1760s, however, it more commonly became 30 or 40 shillings. During this time period the rewards were given by the owners in addition to a government reward, though in the later years no government reward was mentioned anymore. From 1764 and onwards, the currency varied more dramatically. It was 5, 10, or 20 pounds, and sometimes 2 Guineas. There was also the dollar. Between 1787-1803 that was what was mostly used, usually about 5, 10, 15, or 20 dollars. Very shockingly, though, there were those who offered 300, 500, or even 1000 dollar rewards.

In retrospect, there were many differences over the years, but generally articles did not vary too greatly. Women escapees were still few, youngens were few as well as the elderly, and the times of escape and amount of awards did not vary greatly.