A brief history of advertisements and consumer culture

Consumer culture lies deep into history and the rise of advertisements that drive this movement. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the American business market changed in dramatic ways. From a steady rise in industry and formulation of a market economy, banking systems and wages, it created what is now known as a capitalist society. Around the 1840s, the concept of modern advertising emerged in American society, which predominately targeted women as the consumer good influences in the household.

The 1880s saw advertisements focusing on the “wants” and “needs” of the growing consumer population. By purchasing this product (i.e a stove), it would reduce the toil and labour of the kitchen providing more time to nurture a family. Through creating wants and needs to consumers, advertisements were instrumental in paving the way for successful capitalism in America, which is driven by large corporations advertising their products in all media forms.

Across the world in Australia during the 1800s , advertisements played the same role – to convince consumers to buy goods that will make their lives easier. These ads however painted a lifestyle of the “Australian life” surrounded by beaches, sun and playing outdoor activities, providing a more relaxed and ‘realistic’ variation of life.

Our histories show that ads capture aspects of our lives and how they can help make life easier. They drive us to think a certain way and purchase certain items that we believe we need and want. Consumerism encouraged by advertisements create an illusion of demand that likewise created an overabundance of supply in cars and similar products. And after decades of being told what to buy, culture jams act to reclaim the public space. We are what make society and know our wants and needs, and we have the power to speak/act back.

Take for example costly water bottles. You don’t really need them (spending up to $3 on 600ml is outrageous!) when tap water is perfectly fine [are somewhat free] to drink. Marketers draw us with words “natural”, “springs”, “pure” and “crystal”, making the water – a natural resource – appear almost magical and special. It changes how we think, and influences our purchase decisions even if we know what’s logical and the best for us.

Why in America and not Australia?

My ongoing question is the difference between the consumerist culture of North America and Australia, as well as why the term ‘culture jam’ is not commonly used here (in Australia). This blog will be in two parts. The next to follow shortly.

The term ‘culture jamming’ was coined in 1984 by American West Coast-based performance/activist group Negativland to describe a variety of activities. These include communication tactics as the alteration of corporate advertisements by the Billboard Liberation Front, the parody of corporate and nongovernmental organization (NGO) websites by the Yes Men, and the appropriation of consumer goods through shoplifting and rebranding by Yomano. Most of these activities are chronicled in the magazine, Adbusters.

For a term that has existed for nearly 30 years, it’s only something I’ve (an Australian) learnt about in the past 12 months! Interesting enough, I learnt about this term whilst studying an advertising course in North America. It shows that in today’s society, terms like these are embedded into North American curriculums as an everyday topic, acknowledging the negative impacts of advertising that American consumers seem to be aware of. Whilst my experience at an Australian university has only taught me the positive sides of advertising (to an agency/company) – increasing sales, product awareness/market share etc. But why is this?

Are Australians narrow-minded to think about what advertising does to us? Or is it that there is no need to respond?  (We realise what advertisements to listen to and not) and have control to what we believe. Of course I may be a bit biased, as deep down I’ll always picture North America as a consumer culture where products and brands heavily define how people identify themselves.

But again, this brings me to the point that why teach courses about culture jamming in North America (disguised as an innocent advertising class)? I’ll admit my professor was a bit, okay well, very anti-capitalist and ‘out there’. But she helped us all (the class) open our minds and think about what advertising meant to us, and to question everything we see. We shouldn’t take in every single message that comes our way as they’re one-sided and leave no room for information processing.

It wasn’t until this class, where I myself was enlightened and realised “wow, so what I’ve been taught back home doesn’t take into consideration how it affects consumer culture and influences peoples’ identities”. It was almost disheartening to learn as well, after 2.5yrs of learning how to plan/create an ad/campaign can ultimately mean nothing to culture jamming. I don’t think it’s a waste of time to learn one side or the other of advertising, but find it intriguing that Australia was pro, and this particular North American class was anti advertising in the classroom. This itself can appear as influencing how these cultures look at ads and the power they hold. As well as teaching vital tools (of both sides to ads) that us, as communicators should be aware of.

As previously referenced, Carly Stasko, a culture jammer said “I don’t condone this [jamming], but kids should know about it… not necessarily be encouraged to do it, but knowledge is power”.