OUGD 601 - Dissertation research (Imagery)

Videos - 

It's impossible to fundamentally grasp these social and cultural developments made by advertising and PR campaigns without some understanding of Edward Bernays, also known as 'The Father of public relations'. Bernays drew upon his uncle, Sigmund Freud, who was the first person to look at the mind and to develop a theory about its basis and creation. In effect Freud established the foundation for our current thinking about the mind. It was an attempt to understand the unconscious human mind and its mental development, a way of categorising and understanding desires, motivations and dreams. Freud believed "Unconscious wishes are always active and ready for expression whenever they find an opportunity to unite themselves with an emotion from conscious life" (Freud, 1913, p.86). Bernays sought to harness these forces and began using his nephews psychoanalytic ideas for the benefit of business and promotion of commodities such as cigarettes, he was adopting techniques that would ultimately control masses "If we understand the mechanisms and motives of the group mind, it is possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it" (Bernays, 2005, p.71). In other words Bernays understood that consumers often share the same characteristics (habits, tastes, economic status, sex, age and so on) yet could still be very different people. Meaning there was a chance to target consumer segments that will share a set of preferences for their products. Bernays had recognised the unconscious desire to advertising and PR campaigns. He had revolutionised advertising by applying the manipulation of: public opinion, values and beliefs and it was during the 1920s that this became a dominant aspect of consumer culture. 

Through such iconography, advertisers were able to establish these characters as complete beings, individual identities, and all through the act of smoking. Tobacco companies had free reign to sponsor and advertise as they saw fit, take for example the case of Winston Cigarettes, with one of the best known advertising campaigns for American tobacco. 'Winston tastes good like a cigarette should'. This slogan appeared throughout popular culture, in: newspapers, magazines, radio and television advertisements. In the radio and television advertisements, the slogan was presented in a sing song fashion. It had even became integrated into the Cartoon programme, the Flintstones, one of the most popular Cartoon programmes of its time. The programme was aired during prime time and in this particular ad, Barney and Fred watch their wives do a whole load of chores, "I hate to see them work so hard" (Fraser, 2014) says Barney, Fred then suggests going to the back of the house so they won't have to watch anymore, where they quickly light up, escaping the idea of work to relax and indulge in a pleasurable activity. In essence this whole scene is communicating their achievement of pleasure through the comparison of tedious jobs and the smoking of Winston cigarettes, consequently the Winston cigarette has become the signifier of meaning, for the idea of relaxation, indulgence and pleasure. 

Images - 

The following display strong messages that use every means of suggestion available to persuade the greatest possible number of people to act in a pre-determined way.

Advertising had started to sell values, images, concepts. Teaching us that products can fulfil and meet our deepest human needs. Thus causing consumers to interpret an advertisement based on its meaning in the light of associations we have with these images. This meant the advertising of tobacco had to be sensitive to desires and cultural norms, the ability of tobacco advertisers to both read and shape these emerging cultural forces was strongly evident throughout their advertising. They shaped the publics perception of smoking to their benefit, building up a prestige in the consumers eyes. This was especially important because the cigarette was a product of such little usefulness, lasting for a very short time and it was largely an undifferentiated product. Cigarette advertisers got actors, athletes and even doctors to endorse their goods, with the help of pseudo-scientific medical reports, advertisers were also able to make astonishing claims. Because of such things, smoking was widely agreed as having certain health benefits, refer to image noted below... for example of Lucky Strike's advertisements which communicated a variety of messages, from the idea that toasted cigarettes are less harmful to your throat and reduce coughing, to the suggestion that their cigarettes could lead to noticeable weight loss "When tempted to over-indulge, reach for a Lucky Instead", says the 1930 Lucky Strike advertisement. To support this idea of embedding meaning, Freud said that "sometimes a cigar is only a cigar" true, but the obverse of his statement, which we must keep in mind, is that sometimes a cigar isn't only a cigar. It is the unconscious appeal that is behind the acceptance of inducements to chose." (Berger, 2007, p94). This shows that people aren't just smoking for the enjoyment of tobacco or the influence of nicotine, but because of a multitude of persuasions. This is the result of cutting edge industry efforts to advertising the cigarette. In conclusion to 'why' It is our search for meaning which has created and given cigarette advertisers the ability to shape our interpretations. There are no doubt more factors at play when you consider this from the perspective that; advertisers not only shaped our interpretation of the meaning of cigarettes but permanently moulded it. Such a viewpoint could be explained by how our personality is goverened resulting in how we identify with the meaning in advertisements.

The broadness and array of cigarette advertising is so vast that it would take weeks to document them all, instead I've chosen a range of advertisements above, that blatantly show the strategies and tactics that advertisers were employing to improve and solidify their popularity.

The following link illustrates a substantial amount of important and relevant information, that can be accessed all in one place...

http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/main.php

OUGD 601 - Research - Critical Understanding/ Structure

To try and get a better idea of how to structure my introduction and conclusions, I went to the library and studied various graphic design essays...

After obtaining the following literature I typed up colossal amounts of literature related to the planning and structure of my essay, highlighting the most important points and colour coding sections…

Books

Berger, A. A. 2011. Ads, fads, and consumer culture. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Bernays, E. L. and Miller, M. C. 2005. Propaganda. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Ig Pub.

Braiker, H. B. 2004. Who's pulling your strings?. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.

Brandt, A. M. 2007. The cigarette century. New York: Basic Books.

Chapman, S. 1986. Great expectorations. London: Comedia Pub. Group.

Freud, S. and Eder, M. D. 1920. Dream psychology. New York: James A. McCann Co.

Galbraith, J. K. 1958. The affluent society. New York NY: Mentor Book.

Gilman, S. L. and Zhou, X. 2004. Smoke. London: Reaktion Books.

Jobling, P. and Crowley, D. 1996. Graphic design. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Richards, B., Macrury, I. and Botterill, J. 2000. The dynamics of advertising. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Harwood Academic Publishers.

Sheehan, K. 2003. Controversies in contemporary advertising. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Sivulka, J. 1998. Soap, sex, and cigarettes. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co.

Solomon, M. R. 2006. Consumer behaviour. Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.

Ebooks

Etter, J. 2012. [e-book] Available through: Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AE48UM2/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Websites

Amos, A. and Haglund, M. 2000. From social taboo to “torch of freedom”: the marketing of cigarettes to women. 9 (1), pp. 3-8. Available from: doi: 10.1136/tc.9.1.3.

Fischer, P., Schwartz, M., Richards, J., Goldstein, A. and Rojas, T. 1991. Brand Logo Recognition by Children Aged 3 to 6 Years: Mickey Mouse and Old Joe the Camel. 266 (22), pp. 3145-3148. Available from: doi: 10.1001/jama.1991.03470220061027.

Johnson, B. 2014. Cigarette Cards and Cartophily. [online] Available at: http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Cigarette-Cards-Cartophily/ [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Milton, A. 2014. Tobacco Advertising. [online] Available at: http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/tobacco-advertising [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Videos

Bowlin, B. 2014. Edward Bernays 1: Torches of Freedom - Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=druOAHVKHCQ [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

E-Lites. 2013. E-Lites Electronic Cigarette Gangnam Baby TV Ad. [video online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrSavppUj1k&feature=player_embedded [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Fraser, B. 2014. Flintstones selling cigarettes (old commercial). [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYvOgnabABU [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Marlboro. 2011. Marlboro. [video online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOrxlEdHxJA&feature=player_embedded [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Procci, W. 2014. Interaction of the Id, Ego and Superego. [online] Available at: http://video.about.com/psychology/Interaction-of-the-Id--Ego-and-Superego.htm [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

YouTube. 2014. Johnny Depp vaping an electronic cigarette in the movie The Tourist.. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD2R0ACPZl8 [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

YouTube. 2014. Katherine Heigl & David Letterman vape electronic cigarettes. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGyfLwwr1s [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Illustrations

Image 1: Lucky Strike Cigarettes. 2014. "When tempted to over-indulge - reach for a Lucky instead". [image online] Available at: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/217369119487175681/ [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 2: Chesterfield Cigarette. 2014. Chesterfield Cigarette Ad 1940s. [image online] Available at: http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/160333093/chesterfield-cigarette-ad-1940s?ref=market [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 3: Camel Cigarettes. 2014. Camel - For digestions sake!. [image online] Available at: http://www.healthcare-administration-degree.net/10-evil-vintage-cigarette-ads-promising-better-health/ [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 4: Chesterfield Cigarettes. 2014. Chesterfield - Blow some my way!. [image online] Available at: http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/images.php?token2=fm_st024.php&token1=fm_img0516.php&theme_file=fm_mt012.php&theme_name=Targeting%20Women&subtheme_name=Mass%20Marketing%20Begins [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 5: Lucky Strike Cigarettes. 2010. Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet. [image online] Available at: https://www.fasthorseinc.com/blog/2010/12/23/smoke-em-if-you-got-em/ [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 6: Viceroys. 2013. Viceroys Filter the Smoke!. [image online] Available at: http://www.healthcare-administration-degree.net/10-evil-vintage-cigarette-ads-promising-better-health/ [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 7: Lucky Strike Cigarettes. 2012. Lucky Strike Cigarettes - 1930. [image online] Available at: http://www.magazineart.org/main.php/v/ads/tobacco/cigarettes/Lucky+Strike+Cigarettes+-1930F.jpg.html [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 8: Camel Cigarettes. n.d. Joe Camal. [image online] Available at: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/joe-camel-ads [Accessed: 14 Jan 2014].

Image 9: Vapin'Apes. 2013. Smoking is Primitive, Switch to Vapin today!. [image online] Available at: https://www.vapinapes.com [Accessed: 12 Jan 2014].

Image 10: Blu E-cigarette. 2013. Then & Now Ecigs Vs Cigs. [image online] Available at: http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/images.php?token2=fm_tn_st286.php&token1=fm_tn_img9656.php&theme_file=fm_tn_mt001.php&theme_name=Then%20and%20Now&subtheme_name=Ecigs%20vs.%20Cigs [Accessed: 14 Jan 2014]

Final Essay Amendments…

OUGD 601 - Dissertation subject

Progression of question structure….

How has the Advertising of Tobacco created and socialised a cultural popularity, and how will this impact on the emergence of the E-Cig?

Intro: define advertising & theories etc - what I'll be discussing…

1st part: Advertising link to cigarettes and relation in advertising. Brief explanation of its successes and overview on what it's achieve - go onto each part separately in a fluent manner…

Created the image of?

Not only did advertisements create meaning. But they tied it too associations, that represented cultural norms built through an environment saturated in popular culture.
Not only has advertising been used to market the mass produced product, but also to fight off negative health links - again referring back to the industries amazing ability to react to social and cultural forces.

- The boom of cigarettes - through advertising - TV Boom - celebrities, iconography, movies, adverts.

The changes of attitudes - social acceptance, women liberation.
Dynamics of an epidemic

-anti cigarettes - health warnings - unconscious sense of phallic power.

- How have cigarette companies continued and created a fad to keep consumers buying the idea of 'want' despite the effects they have on ones self. Psychoanalysis - fads - Branding terror. Subcultture of smoking - 'Vapers'.


E-cig ads…

- banned from tv some aspects.- New electronic cigarette created a step back in time - employing the same tactics and following suit to the strategies of tobacco advertisers.
- Speculation on adverts etc…

- Review how the popular cultural methods impacted on e -cigarette…

Tactics - same ways to appeal to younger generation.
Still employing emotion/ exposure tactics
New chance too exploit market.

Final Structure….

Chapter 1

Introduction                                                                           

The relationship between advertising and cigarettes        

Mass Marketing                                                                    

Chapter 2

Matching attitudes and behaviours – Choice?                       

The marketing of cigarettes to women                                  

The manipulation of public opinion                                        

Chapter 3

Modern forms of communication – The electronic cigarette    

Conclusion                                                                                 

OUGD 601 - Idea progression

Over the previous years, my two essays have been based around psychoanalysis and also advertising of some form. In light of this, I didn't want to stray too far away from these subject matters because I had already gained a large understanding of these topics. On the other hand I didn't want to feel like I was just repeating myself and going over the same thing. As a result I decided to map out some ideas and progress with solidifying my research question

As a starting point I began with both psychoanalysis and advertising.

Notes

What are the historical, political, social, cultural, technological or other contextual determining factors in my chosen subject?

What creative experiment/ making can I do to gain insight?

Choose case studies to focus on of brands?

Shape the future research direction of your chosen career (advertising)

Psychology of advertising: Psychoanalysis - collective behaviour - 'consumer culture' - desirable - consumer trends?

Core emotional drivers…(following on from my essay: How has psychoanalysis effected contemporary advertising)

Branding terror
1950's - 1960's - advancing forms of communication

Packaging?

Shift in consumerist ethos to keep a fad prevalent?

Potential topics/ Psychoanalysis, Fads.
Trying to sell a fad... created through branding/ identity, exhibit.

Fads & how they effect ones perception and sense of possession (Populations desires) -- it is a form of behaviour that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm/ wishful thinking.

The dynamics of an epidemic - use epidemiology to explain how an idea gets spread across a group of people.

A never dying fad? The ultimate and strangest fad?
-the dynamics of an epidemic
-branding terror

Trends/ Popular culture
-1990 - Shift from text/ informational ads to advertisements that ignored that arbitrary value of products

Points of investigation?
Persuasion
Manipulation
Culture
Status

Shift to emotional marketing.

Shift from 1990 - Contemporary culture (Obviously had a more so effect on some sectors - find this)

1950's - 1960's - television brought moving images into peoples home. This brought exposure to other cultures & created world views & information then became a major role in shaping popular public opinion. It was the most popular form of communication.

1960's - satellites & telecommunications brought global communication - opened new avenues for advertising to deliver its message. Advertising and other forms of popular culture helped create an unprecedented demand for material goods

- Inspired desirable, 'consumer culture'
- Happiness & satisfaction were often associated with purchasing & consuming material goods.

-- The consumer trend would accelerate in later decades

Evaluation of notes…. After reviewing my input from various areas of my previous essays and also interests of myself, I chose the words that most stood out and began thinking of a question that would not only be interesting but engaging…

Conclusion…

Question 1. How has the advertising of cigarettes created and solidified a cultural popularity?

Question 2. How has the advertising of tobacco created and socialised a cultural popularity?

Question 3. How has the advertising of cigarettes created a never dying fad?

Question 4. How was the advertising of tobacco created and socialised a cultural popularity, and how will this impact on the emergence of the E-cigarette?

Meetings with tutor to clarify question.