The History of Advertising

Advertising has evolved since the 1950's with the changes affecting the various demographics and psychographics affecting all ages, genders and ethnic groups and minorities. The story used to be the same in every household, the man would go out to work, the mother would look after the kids and the house, and little boys and girls would grow up to do exactly what their parents did. In modern times this would be seen as stereotypical and it is because these stereotypes emerges from the reality of the 1950's home life setting, but they would be frowned on today because of advances in equality between men and women.

Adverts used direct mode of address to target exactly who they wanted, and whereas adverts today are often more subtle and ambiguous than they were in the 1950's, they still target specific genders. Adverts back in the 50's did this explicitly. Domestic products were aimed at women who took care of the house; cleaning products, food and other products of domestic nature were all targeted at the mother.

It was generally accepted that women would grow up to look after the house and children after getting married, and the methods used to advertise to them back then would not be accepted today. When reflecting back on these adverts, they are somewhat sexist, as they target women through the male gaze and female role - how a woman should behave and what her husband should think of her.

Adverts worked almost solely by persuasion, persuading men and women into purchasing their products. In modern times, adverts could be based on social pressure, the desire to get a product in order to be accepted by their peers or by improving their social standing by purchasing it. People are targeted saying that good things would happen to them if they did get it. These things did not happen in the adverts of the 1950's