CMAF 3810 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Rosser Reeves, William Bernbach, Volkswagen Beetle
Document Summary
Commodity fetishism: with consumers and branded, standardized, pre-packaged goods, we get commodity fetishism. , distancing production from consumption. Commodities become mysterious: according to marx, true essence of a commodity is human labour that goes into it. Conspicuous consumption: advertising teaches values in addition to selling products, advertising teaches us lessons. Advertising pushes that what we own makes a statement about us to others. Commodities can communicate social status and wealth: also related to magic system: material object itself is never enough, arose, historically, with complex society where people did not know status/wealth of others. Consumer socialization: during a critical juncture from 1880s through 1940s, advertisers had to get people into the habits of branded consumption and eliminate values such as thrift. Turning customers into consumers requires training; hence, concept of consumer socialization. Children were going to eat no matter what, the challenge was selling mass- produced, standardized, packaged, branded food.