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Images of Ourselves: The Good Life in Twentieth Century Advertising

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Abstract

Using a longitudinal content analysis of advertisements appearing in popular U.S. magazines between 1900 and 1980, we assess the image of life depicted during this period. While little evidence is found to support some critics' contention that advertising has visually portrayed a progressively more luxurious and comfortable lifestyle, the themes employed in advertising do lend support to such an assertion. In addition, there is evidence that recent advertising has increasingly portrayed consumption as an end in itself rather than as a means to consumer well-being.
... Consumers are caught in a vicious cycle of continuous desire and acquisition for new and increasingly available goods (Nelson et al., 2007). This pattern, known as terminal materialism (Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton, 1978), is exacerbated by advertising (Belk & Pollay, 1985a) resulting in short-lived, informal, and opportunistic relationships with possessions (Denegri-Knott & Molesworth, 2009). ...
... The rule of consumerism was further strengthened through an increase in advertising which shapes and reinforces beliefs about the prevalent culture and the self (McCracken, 1987). This was especially the case in the early twentieth century when advertisements evoked a longing for new products and suggested them as necessities in various countries (Belk & Pollay, 1985a, 1985bTse et al., 1989;Zhao & Belk, 2008). The economic upturn in e.g., Japan, increased social mobility which required the adoption of status symbols and a greater focus on individualism (Clammer, 1997). ...
... The economic upturn in e.g., Japan, increased social mobility which required the adoption of status symbols and a greater focus on individualism (Clammer, 1997). Moreover, an increasing trend to focus on the product alone in advertising spurs terminal materialism which implies that consumers strive to acquire products to merely possess them, to display or improve their social status rather than benefit from their usability or function (Csikszentmihalyi, Rochberg-Halton, 1978;Belk & Pollay, 1985a, 1985b. ...
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Belk’s ( Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168, 1988, Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 477–500, 2013) seminal work on possessions and the extended self explains how possessions form and symbolize an individual’s extended self. According to the framework, material possessions play a significant role for the extended self. In recent decades, individuals in consumer societies of the Global North have started to question their consumption patterns and their impact on the natural environment in light of the climate crisis. These individuals engage in anti-consumption practices which aim at reducing environmental impact through reducing and rejecting consumption including the acquisition of material possessions. This paper assesses if Belk’s ( Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168, 1988, Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 477–500 2013) framework is still applicable in the case of sustainability-concerned anti-consumers and which modifications need to be made to account for a change in consumption patterns. We propose that the self-expressive aspect of the extended self framework remains salient, as the intentional non-consumption by anti-consumers helps them distance themselves from possible undesired selves. Through a de-extension of the self, consumers rely on experiences, people and places which are central to the self rather than on material possessions. The material objects that remain parts of the extended self and that have a symbolic meaning represent their owner’s ethical and pro-environmental values and are often created through upcycling, refurbishing or acquired in second-hand or sharing markets. Since consumers increasingly consider the effects their acquisitions and actions have on the state of the Earth, they re-extend their selves to include experiences and the natural environment as a psychological possession.
... Beyond military applications, in this period, the marketing of products, particularly watches and, in this case, Certina watches, could be viewed through the lens of societal and technological change. The 1950s and 1960s were characterised by significant shifts in consumer preferences and lifestyles (Belk and Pollay, 1985). The introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and associated technological marvels may have sparked a broader interest in cutting-edge innovations, leading to marketing strategies intended to align products such as watches with the perceived progress and sophistication associated with nuclear advances. ...
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Purpose This study aims to examine how the nuclear energy issue was used for advertising purposes at the dawn of the atomic era in Spain. Design/methodology/approach Newspapers and magazines from the atomic era were reviewed to assess the impact of nuclear energy on advertising campaigns for all kinds of unrelated products. This study interprets the message and information contained in several marketing campaigns from the detonation of the first nuclear bomb in 1945 until the inauguration of the first nuclear facility in Spain in 1968. Findings Private companies leapt at the chance to use the new technology, with its promises of a brighter future, to promote their products, including watches, Venetian blinds, anisette, chocolates, pencils and fountain pens, spa resorts, books and encyclopaedias, laundry detergents, pressure cookers, concentrate feeds and hair restorers. This study makes a major contribution to the history of marketing literature, focusing on nuclear energy as an influential agent in industry, advertising agencies and popular culture. It shows how advertising campaigns used terms such as “nuclear”, “atomic” and “atomic bomb” and images of mushroom clouds or atom symbols to denote modernity and allure and explores how government policies – in this case, concerning nuclear energy – can influence marketers and advertisers. Originality/value The paper’s originality stems from its analysis of Spanish advertisements to explore marketing history through the terms and imagery associated with nuclear energy and its industry. It further contributes to the understanding of how nuclear energy is represented and conceptualised for various purposes in popular culture.
... Similarly, campaigns like 'Cool Dad' by Volkswagen (2017) have also highlighted how their product can improve the performance of the parental role and strengthen interpersonal relationships by increasing popularity and social status. However, commercial messages also promote materialism by implicitly communicating that consumer products are providers of happiness and signal one's personal worth and social success to others (Belk & Pollay, 1985;Shrum et al., 2022). Nevertheless, the endorsement of these ideas, which are key factors in the conceptualization of materialism (Dittmar et al., 2014;Richins & Dawson, 1992), has been found to have detrimental effects on developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships (e.g., Banerjee & Dittmar, 2008;Dunkeld et al., 2020;Hui & Tsang, 2017;Kashdan & Breen, 2007;Ward et al., 2020), therefore contradicting the social benefits initially promised by advertisements. ...
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Materialism, or beliefs and values that link wealth and consumption to success and happiness, negatively affects interpersonal relationships. Prior work has typically explained these effects through the allocation of personal resources (such as time or money) within relationships, thus using a behavioural route. However, this research proposes an alternative cognitive pathway to understand the adverse effects of materialism on interpersonal relationships. Three studies ( N = 1389) employing correlational and experimental methodologies showed that materialism leads to heightened expectations and standards for a significant other, which are associated with poorer interpersonal outcomes. Specifically, materialism heightens the ideal standards that one has for a close other around achievement (e.g., ambition) and positive image (e.g., attractiveness), which are linked to higher conflict and lower relational satisfaction. Therefore, this work contributes to deepening our understanding of how consumer‐oriented values shape social perceptions and negatively affect interpersonal dynamics. Practical applications include informing relationship counselling practices, developing educational interventions, and guiding marketers and media content producers towards messages that do not increase individuals' ideals and standards for themselves and others. Further research should explore other factors that might alter this mediation (e.g., mindfulness) and examine the short‐ and long‐term effects through longitudinal and interventional‐based research.
... We reviewed the data and established initial categories, with attention to the specific ways that gunfluencers use the platform to link consumption to 2A ideology. Thematic codes focused on the objects, posture, and expression of the influencer; and activities, values, and ideas that were depicted and referenced in the text and the image (Belk and Pollay, 1985). All four authors met regularly via Zoom to identify patterns and themes across the Instagram content while making sense of what these patterns and themes could mean in relation to theory (Gurrieri and Drenten, 2019). ...
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The idea of the armed American woman – a woman in the United States who owns and uses a firearm – appears to have gained legitimacy in recent years. We investigate one aspect of this increased legitimacy by focusing on how she is depicted in gun advertising, which reflects and shapes legitimacy. Using a novel dataset of a sample of gun manufacturers’ advertisements in a publicly available gun magazine from 2001–2020, we conduct a content analysis to identify trends and differences between ads featuring men versus women. Next, focusing on ads in the sample featuring armed women, we identify phases of general framing strategies. Finally, analyzing all ads featuring armed women during the final phase, 2016–2020, which coincides with increased legitimacy, we identify specific frames of the armed American woman: the Serious Student, Capable Carrier, Domestic Defender, and Action Hero. Findings contribute to literature on gun advertising, discourses in American gun culture, and market legitimation.
... There are many intellectually stimulating arguments concerning consumer behaviour as a field of study. Some of these feature in publications such as Jacoby (1976); Sheth (1982); Belk and Pollay (1985); Holbrook (1987); Kernan (1995); and Deighton (2007). Nevertheless, if we view it from a wider sense, it is logical to state that consumer behaviour is greatly diverse, as shown in the exemplar disciplines described above. ...
... We reviewed the data and established initial categories, with attention to the specific ways that gunfluencers use the platform to link consumption to 2A ideology. Thematic codes focused on the objects, posture, and expression of the influencer; and activities, values, and ideas that were depicted and referenced in the text and the image (Belk and Pollay, 1985). All four authors met regularly via Zoom to identify patterns and themes across the Instagram content while making sense of what these patterns and themes could mean in relation to theory (Gurrieri and Drenten, 2019). ...
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This study explores how a platform enables social media influencers to promulgate a consumption ideology. We show how gun influencers, or “gunfluencers,” use Instagram to link products, activities, and meanings to Second Amendment ideology—a gun-centric belief system in the United States colloquially known as “2A ideology.” Through a qualitative study of 25 Instagram gunfluencers, we identify a process of curating a consumption ideology wherein social media influencers employ four curatorial tactics: glamourizing, demystifying, victimizing, and tribalizing. Findings suggest gunfluencers extend audiences and leverage algorithms to prescribe and model how supporters of 2A ideology should look, act, speak, feel, and consume. Our research contributes to understanding how consumption ideologies are promulgated in a digital, platformized world. In the context of U.S. gun culture, implications address the role of platformization in supporting gun companies’ promotional efforts, despite government- and platform-based restrictions, and the political dimensions of influencer and consumer cultures.
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Purpose This study investigates the factors influencing monetary donations in Thailand, a developing Buddhist nation. We explore the interplay of demographic, socioeconomic, psychological and social factors on individual donation behavior, focusing on frequency, amount, planning and motivation. Our primary aim is to distinguish pure altruism from the “warm glow” effect and identify the optimal model explaining how donation behavior impacts donor life satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach A structured, self-administered questionnaire surveyed 450 Thai charitable donors (convenience sample) using logistic regression analysis in SPSS Findings The study revealed females and those with higher education exhibited stronger altruistic motives, while a warm glow motivated five distinct groups: 1) older, 2) unmarried, 3) those with high external locus of control, 4) reputation-conscious donors and 5) those aware of public health benefits like medical care access. Additionally, pre-planned donations were associated with five factors: 1) debt-free, 2) Buddhist faith, 3) belief in societal improvement through donations, 4) witnessing family members donate and 5) awareness of public health benefits including receiving royal decorations. Practical implications This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and charities. By understanding donor motivations, targeted incentives (e.g. emphasizing the “warm glow” effect) can be designed to increase donations and address social issues. Originality/value The study suggests tax deduction campaigns may be less effective than expected, as awareness of deductions correlated with lower donation frequency and amount. To incentivize giving, the government should focus on factors most linked to donor satisfaction. This research indicates warm glow is the strongest driver, followed by donation frequency, planning behavior and amount donated.
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The purpose of this study was to chart the psychological dimensions of collective ownership, thereby opening this topic to further systematic inquiry. It was an exploratory study examining (a) the meaning or mechanics of collective possession, and (b) evaluations of collective possession. Interview questions about collective possession were administered to (a) 150 Americans, 30 at each of five age levels (kindergarten, second, fifth, and eleventh grades, and 40- to 50-year-old adults), and (b) 120 Israelis, 60 from the kibbutz and 60 from the city (in each case, 30 of kindergarten age and 30 of fifth-grade age). A content analysis was performed on the interview responses. The resulting dimensions both of the meaning of collective possession and of evaluations of collective possession are presented, and the relative saliences of these dimensions for the different age and cultural groups are discussed.
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This article summarizes the results of the first three annual inventories of New York television programs as well as of the single studies in Los Angeles and New Haven conducted by the author for the National Association of Educational Broadcasters with funds supplied by the Fund for Adult Education, established by the Ford Foundation. It also describes and analyzes the theory of content analysis employed in these studies and suggests certain new directions which might usefully be explored in the effort to determine the nature of the reality presented to the American public by television and other mass media.
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An interview survey was conducted with ninety-four elderly persons, sixty-two in community senior service centers and thirty-two in a nursing home, to find out whether aged persons do identify certain possessions as cherished above all others and to see what meaning these possessions had for their later years. It was found that 81 per cent of the sample could quite readily identify a most cherished object. Different kinds of possessions tended to have different meanings and referents in the lives of the subjects. The lack of a cherished possession was associated with lower life satisfaction scores, which suggests that such a lack might be an indicator of poor adjustment to old age.