Media Advertising - Portraying Stability Through Advertising in the 1950's

Portraying Stability Through Advertisement in the 1950's

The 1950's: this era brings to mind vivid pictures of black and white TVs, Donna Reed, dishwashers, the Jitterbug, baby-boomers, and toasters. After the turmoil of World War II followed by the difficult adjustment to a post-war economy, the 1950s are recognized as the decade when America finally decided to settle down into an orderly, well-structured lifestyle. While this trend can be seen in many different areas, it is especially noticeable in the advertisements of this unique decade. A coffee advertisement taken from Life Magazine in 1950 clearly illustrates this emphasis on order through its portrayal of the ideal family, fun, form, symmetry, and education.

Appeal to the happy family is the most obvious form of propaganda in this ad. The audience's eyes are immediately drawn to the center illustration picturing a handsome father light-heartedly playing football with his son. Lying flat on the ground as if he had truly been tackled by a boy half of his size, the reader makes the assumption that the father is a good sport. This impression is reinforced by his relaxed grip on the football as well as the pleasant, almost impish, grin on his face. The father appears to be very responsible, primarily because of his shaven face, well-trimmed hair, and clean fingernails. His neat pullover, collared shirt and gray trousers add to this impression. Even his nose and chin are straight and powerfully set, reflecting order. The impression of responsibility is accentuated by the fact that the boy is wearing a protective helmet; any reliable parent would assure that their child is safe. The slight silver tinge to his hair, receding hairline, laugh wrinkles around his eyes, heavy...

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...he importance of knowledge and education. The included facts relate many statistics about how many years it takes for a coffee tree to mature, the yield of a coffee tree, and the number of beans needed per pound of ground coffee. The use of numbers gives a sense of logic to the advertisement, especially as the producers try to logically reason that Americans should by coffee since it "costs just a few pennies a cup." Even the alphabetical listing of the countries producing coffee maintains the sense of order.

Obviously structure, responsibility, stability and order were of the upmost importance during the 1950s. This coffee advertisement clearly reflects this popular trend, as have ads throughout history. Through its appeal to the happy family, fun, form, symmetry, and education, this coffee advertisement is effectively able to portray its message of stability.