-Analyse the rise of US consumerism
-Discuss the links between consumerism and our unconscious desires
-Sigmund Freud
-Edmund Bernays
-Consumerism as social control
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
-New theory of human nature
-Psychoanalysis
-Hidden primitive sexual forces and animal instincts which need controlling
Freuds model of personality structure
1930- Civilisation and its discontents
-Fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual
-Human instincts incompatible with the well being of the community
-The Pleasure principle
WW1 1914-18
Freud thinks this is what we should expect to happen, a global release point. Hidden based desires, sense of identity
Edward Bernays (1891-1995)
-Press Agent
-Employed by public information during WW1
-Post war- set up 'The council on public relations'
-The birth of PR
-Based on the ideas of Freud (his uncle)
-Crystallising Public Opinion (1923)
-Propaganda (1928)
He set up his own company advertising business, gaining quite a lot of success, his business was about public perceptions.
What launched his career cigarette business', he targeted the fact that for women to smoke was frowned upon.
1929 Easter Parade
Women lighting up 'torches of freedom' as protest. Contemporary display of women's freedom and independence, then cigarette smoking became increasingly popular for women.
It was about women having: -status
-freedom
-independence
1924
-product placement
-celebrity endorsements
-the use of pseudoscientific reports
'more doctors smoke camels than any other cigarettes'
a ridiculous advert advertising the fact doctors smoke, advertising that camels is the best cigarettes to buy when in fact cigarettes kill you. An ironic poster showing someone who is suppose to help your health killing themselves.
Fordism
-Henry Ford (1863-1947)
-Transposes Taylorism to factories of Detroit
-Requires large investment, but increases productivity so much that relatively high wages can be paid, allowing the workers to buy the product they produce
-moving assembly line
-standard production models built as they move through the factory
acceleration of production, possible crisis of over production
people only have a need for so many things, yet more and more things are being put in the world, this is where the idea of branding comes in and becomes increasingly important, persuasion becomes important, there are many technique that they use, they try and give the product and identity, make it more personal to the consumer
Bernays introced the idea of car advertising and cars making you more sexual desirable, men being the head of the family and driving them around, men driving women around
we shift from a NEEDS to WANT a desire culture
NEEDS Chanel perfume
WANT Chanel perfume with the aid of celebrity endorsement
Marketing hidden needs- BOOK- the hidden persuaders, Vanace Packard
-selling emotional security
-selling the reassurance of worth
-selling ego-gratification
-selling creative outlines
-selling love objects
-selling sense of power
-selling a sense of roots
-selling immortality
1920
the new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd
'manufacturing consent'
Conclusion
-Consumerism is an ideological project
-we believe that through consumption our desires can be met
-The consumer self
-the legacy of Bernays / PR can be felt in all aspects of 21st century society
- the conflicts between alternative models of social organisation continue to this day
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