Advertisements sale! The command and influence that advertising has on the consumer is quite simply amazing. Through advertisement the business is in control of the message; it calls the shots. Ladies Home Journal is one of the many magazines which exemplify my statement. This is a magazine that targeted women by devoting itself to household arts. Its advertisements were so influential because the products marketed within reflected "popular taste,"" which was a must to be considered. So an ad may have seemed innocent enough, but the motive behind the message differentiated. Bottom line, all advertisements were designed to appeal to the consumer by all means necessary to result in them "Showing the money!-.
In this paper, I will demonstrate through my analysis how this cliché holds true. I will base my argument from a theme presented in Cross's book, An All Consumer Century. This particular theme is how consumerism plays a role in the Pleasure vs. Work ideal in American society. To back my stance, I have selected two ads from the Ladies Journal's 1950 issue, of which Trushay lotion and Birds Eye Orange Juice are being marketed. .
I will commence with the advertisement of Trushay lotion. First noted was that this ad is very image dependent. A lot of time was spent on details so that the image would be self-sufficient. The image displays a woman dissected in half. One half a working-class housewife, dressed in plain clothing doing household chores. The other half, lady of the night dressed extravagantly, prepared to be wined and dined. The image is divided in half yet still completes the woman as a whole. This demonstrates that women can be successful at being the traditional woman at home as well as uphold perfection by balancing the traditional roles of a woman, mother and beautiful wife. In the image, I noticed that in the half that represents the working-class, there is no man present.