Advertising History 1860 -1920 3 17 2018 MIT 3214 1

Advertising History, 1860 -1920 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 1

Patent Medicines 1. Herbal compounds, tonics, liniment oils 1. “Dr. Duponco’s Golden Periodical Pills” 2. “Hamlin’s Wizard Oil” 2. 1804: 80; 1860: 1, 500 + 3. Gout, fallen arches, liver disease, etc. 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 2

Why Popular? 1. Commonplace illness 1. Civil War veterans 2. Weak allopathic medicine 3. Homeopathic tradition (Women) 4. Rural society 5. Magical Belief/ Irrational? 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 3

Advertising Oriented 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 3/17/2018 ad-to-sales ratios: 40%+ national advertisers pioneer brands/ trademarks 1/2 newspaper ads 1860; 1/3 -1890 “red clause” contracts MIT 3214 4

Patent Medicine Advertising newspapers, trade cards, billboards, etc. travelling medical shows “modern” advertiser 1. 2. 3. 3/17/2018 symbolism image/text sensationalism MIT 3214 5

Advertising Orientation “Patent” for trademark protection 1. 2. 3. 3/17/2018 “printer’s ink on the bottle” Alcohol Pain-killers (coca/opiates) MIT 3214 6

“Trickster” and Patent Medicines n Here Today… n Belief/Disbelief n Real/False n Liars; “Inventive and Creative Cultural Force” n Treat Illness/Renew, Invigorate 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 7

Advertising/Truth n Daniel Boorstin: “Advertising befuddles our experience, not because advertisers are liars, but precisely because they are not… Advertising fogs our daily lives less from its peculiar lies than from its peculiar truths…The simple question, ‘Is it true? ’ is as obsolete as the horse and buggy. ” 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 8

Case Study: Lydia E. Pinkham Co. 18752. pleurisy root, fenugreek seed, unicorn root, alcohol 3. Vegetable Compound/Kidney Pills 4. Ad-to-sales ratio: 40 -60% 5. Sales peak, $3. 4 mil (1925) 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 9

Why Successful? “Age of the Womb” 1. 2. 2. 3. 3/17/2018 menstruation/menopaus e/pregnancy “ovaritis” “prolapsed uteris” Weak allopathic alternative “home doctoring”/ homeopathy MIT 3214 10

Psychological Problems (1900 s) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 3/17/2018 “nerves, ” jitters, “the blues” Psychology Psychic/physical health Tempo of “modern” life Women’s “tonic” MIT 3214 11

Pinkham– “Human Chemistry” Advice Letters 1. 2. 3. 4. 3/17/2018 1929 -400, 000 on file Testimonial Letters Customer Relations Improve Advertising (copy research) MIT 3214 12

Patent Medicine/Market Research 1. 2. Track diseases, illnesses, complaints Information/Letter Brokers 1. Mailing Lists by Disease 2. Advertise/Sell Lists to patent medicine dealers 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 13

Patent Medicine/Market Research 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Direct Mail Database Marketing Target Marketing vs. “Shotgun” approach 1. One-to-One Marketing Two-fold Commodification Marketing Capitalism 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 14

Patent Medicines Today? n 3/17/2018 hair-growth lotions n Aromatherapy n Chiropractic n pain-relief bracelet n others? MIT 3214 15

Examples www. infomercial-hell. com 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 16

P. T. Barnum 1. 1840 s Sudder's American Museum, NY 2. Handbills, posters for Museum 3. Carnivalesque 4. High-brow/Low-Brow 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 17

Barnum-Advertising n Promotional Spectacle: n banners, brass bands, gas lighting n Advertising Perceived as: n insincere, false, deceptive n “Erase the Barnum image” n Authentic/artificial n Sincere/Contrived 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 18

Endurance of Barnum Tradition n Carnival n Fairs-Exhibitions n Niagara Falls ‘museums’ n Others? 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 19

Barnumesque Tradition 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 20

Patent Medicine Opponents Professional Medicine (AMA/CMA) 2. Magazine Publishers 3. Corporate Mass Advertisers Reasons: 1. Consumer Fraud 2. Public Health 3. Public Decency 1. 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 21

“Modern” Corporate Advertisers n Campbell’s Soup (1869) n Procter & Gamble n Ivory Soap (1879) n Coca Cola (1886) n Kodak n Gillette n Social Legitimacy 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 22

Corporate Advertising, 1880 -1920 Rising Population (US) 1. 1880: 50 mil; 1920 106 mil. Urbanization (2, 500+) 2. 1880: 28%; 1920; 51% Higher Per Capita Income: 3. 1. 2. 3/17/2018 1880: $147; 1920: $639 discretionary spending MIT 3214 23

Second Industrial Revolution, post 1860 s Large-scale factory system Coal replaces wood/water Iron/steel industries Economies-of-scale production Capital-intensive/high fixed costs Realization Thesis? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. n 3/17/2018 Bonsack Machine (1880 s) MIT 3214 24

Retailer-Advertiser Power Struggle 1. Manufacturer wrest power from retailer via branding/advertising 2. Product Substitution 3. Ivory Soap – Manufacturer Power 1. 3/17/2018 Sunshine Biscuits MIT 3214 25

Advertising Spending (US) 1. 1880: $104 million; 1919: $1. 4 billion 2. Ad share of newspaper-mag revenue 1. 1880: 44% ; 1920: 66% 3. Number of US Daily Newspapers: 1. 1854: 254 2. 1900: 2, 226 4. How advertise in so many local papers? 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 26

Advertising Agents George P. Rowell n New England, 18651. line rates 2. wholesaler of white space 1. 2. 3/17/2018 “space jobber” bulk buy for lowest price MIT 3214 27

Space Jobbers 5. Lord & Thomas 1. religious publications J. Walter Thompson 1. magazines 2. exclusive access deals “closed” contracts Aligned with newspapers Rebates, etc. , if sell space full price 6. Buy space only w/ affiliated papers 1. 2. 3. 4. 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 28

A. J. Ayer (N. W. Ayer & Son) 1. 2. 3. 4. 3/17/2018 modern agency “open” contract (1875) advertiser-oriented service commission system MIT 3214 29

Ad Agent Functions knowledge of newspaper/periodical market lowest prices (rate card cutting) Media Buying: 1. 2. 3. 3/17/2018 researchers space-buyers checkers MIT 3214 30

Ad Agent Functions 1. Copywriting: little in late 1880 s 1. 2. Illustration 1. 3/17/2018 advertisers “knew best” freelance ‘advertising specialists’ print shops/commercial artists MIT 3214 31

Full Service Agency (Today) 1. Media Buying (Media Research) 2. Copywriting/Art Direction 3. Market/Consumer Research 4. (Public Relations, Govt Relations, etc) 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 32

Ayer & Son: Full Service Agency American Newspaper Annual 1880 1900: 160 employees/12 depts Account executives 1. 2. 3. 1. 4. 5. 6. 3/17/2018 copywriters, art directors Clients: Hires Root Beer, Procter & Gamble Legitimacy Remedial market research MIT 3214 33

Summary 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Patent Medicines & Problem of Body/Mind 1. Modern Advertising: Symbolism/Market Data 2. Endurance of Patent Medicine Tradition P. T. Barnum Corporate Advertisers (Consumer Goods) Kellogg’s, Socio-Economic Change 1. Second Industrial Revolution 2. Retailer-Manufacturer Power Struggle Advertising Agents Full-Service Ad Agency 3/17/2018 MIT 3214 34