Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture

Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture

Introduction

Stuart Ewen is a New York based author, lecturer and historian and he focus on consumer culture and media.

Ewen claim # 1

Author Ewen claimed that contemporary advertising can be categorize as a reaction of need of mass consumption and advertising has become a foremost segment for business investment (Ewen, 2001).

Ewen claim # 2

He also claimed that these social managers (advertisers) were responsible to cultivate the culture for mass consumption and regarded as spiritual side of trade (Ewen, 1992).

I do agree with the Ewen claim that advertising creates need of consumption among masses because advertising become a powerful tool or mean to create customers with homogenous needs. There was certain evidence that support this claim such as increase in advertising revenues, advertising revenues were $58.5 million in 1918 and reached $196.3 million in 1929. During 1920's, industries including governmental organizations used advertising as an essential tool to develop a receptive consumer markets.

I do agree with Ewen that social mangers can cultivate the culture for mass consumption. During these years, advertising groups, agencies and people were known as “Business Insurance” for industries of mass production. Advertising affects the decision of the customer. Products which are advertised more started making place in the customer's mind. Therefore, by investing more in advertising, we eventually ends up in creating a market with consumer of homogenous needs.

Discussion

Details of Ewen Claims

According to Ewen's Claims in order to create consumers on a large scale, the advertising agency needed to build a philosophy of global level. These concepts were the key to build mass audience through a widespread appeal. He argued that advertising agencies did value the efforts of psychologist in the creation of general concepts. Therefore, the modern advertisers work ...