Propaganda & Mass Persuasion: Advertsing and labor

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Advertsing and labor

"The mistaken idea has gone around that because a chap works in a foundry, he isn't good enough to be played up in an advertisement......Give labor cause to be proud of its own share in progress and it will stay put."

W. Livingston Larned, in his article "Advertsing That Is helping to Adjust the Labor Situation" suggests that if advertisers paid tribute to the American worker that the negative industrial conditions that are discussed in the media: working conditions, labor unrest, strikes could be seen in a more positive light.

Emphasize the positive in order to negate the negative. "The American workman lives better, works in better factories under more favorable conditions, is better paid and is really more contented, take him by and large, than any other workman in the world. This being true, why not tell him about it."

The psychological effects of talking up the American laborer would have
him thinking in a more positive way about his job and the company he works for, therefore he would be less inclined to examine the negative aspects of his job.

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1 Comments:

Blogger A. Mattson said...

A good post.

Can advertising alone make up for bad conditions and low pay? Can job satisfaction really be sold like soap? Clearly in this piece from 1919 we some people beginning to speculate that advertising and the media could be used to counter the negative opinions of the working class about management and capitalism.

3/18/2009 11:47 AM  

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