What do Ads Reveal or Conceal about an Era?
2:50 PM Posted In Anecdotes Edit This
In examining ads as historical documents, we also should look at what the ad seems to take for granted. Inferring social conditions from advertisements is not straightforward. Ads are highly selective in their depiction of the world. Notably, historical and contemporary studies abound showing that advertising’s depiction of American society has been highly skewed in its portrayal of race, class, and gender.
An exerpt from History Matters, the US Survey Course on the Web. Title What do Ads Reveal or Conceal about an Era?
Below are two different advertisements.
The one on the right was taken in 1943, when the role of a woman was very much dedicated to her family. However, during WWII, most American men were recruited to fight the war. Therefore, women had to come out to work and assuming the jobs which their husbands/sons have left behind. And yet, return home to be a daughter/wife/mother.
Note the picture on the left. This 1977 ad was aimed at garment manufacturers rather than at consumers directly. It refers visually to the emerging social acceptance of fluid and open gender identities and sexual practices that marked the 1970s (symbolized by the fashion trend of androgyny) to urge manufacturers to label correctly the fabric they use in their clothing. This ad contrasts starkly to the message about gender roles conveyed by the 1943 hand lotion advertisement.
