History of Advertising General 1930 - 1950

Synopsis

Looks at the days of advertising before television and the Internet and provides an insight into the marketing strategies implemented from the 1930s to 1950. Back before the days of high technology advertisers had to be much more creative when looking for ways to make their message stand out. They also had to be more persuasive as during the Great Depression most people had little spare cash.This two disk set shows some of the ways advertising agencies used to sell their products including sky writing, billboard advertisements, short films, and electric signs.

This 2-DVD set has work from some of the great production houses of the era such as Jam Handy and Jerry Fairbanks Productions, providing glimpses of the strategies employed during the birth of motion pictures and television. The compilation ranges from movie theatre ads, television commercials, sky writing and outdoor ads. These ads document what was happening in America at the time as well as illustrating the history of advertising. Shows the ways companies marketed such products as Band Aid, Pepsodent, Ajax, Winston, Gillette, Remington, Marlboro, Kool, Rober Burn Cigars, Murial Cigars, Tide, Maxwell House, Hamm’s, Budweiser, Lipton, Jell-O, Cheerios, V-8, Brown Derby, Nonesuch Coffee, Polaroid Cameras and many others during the 1930s through to the 1950s. This set will highlight how advertising has changed over the past 70 years but also how many techniques are still in use today. Shows examples of techniques that worked well before the advent of television and the Internet but would seem quaint today.

Language

English

Country

United States

Subjects

Social Studies; Media studies

Keywords

advertising; social history; World War II; United States of America; skywriting; advertising billboards

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 0

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

120 minutes

Year

2005

Sections

Title

Nonesuch Coffee

Synopsis

The Nonesuch brand of coffee may have faded into history but this classic theatrical ad is worth watching. A husband wonders why the wife puts the coffee in the icebox. 1934.


Producer: N/A
Sponsor: Nonesuch Coffee
Year: 1934
Length: 00:01:01
Audio: Mono
Color: BLACK & WHITE

Duration

1 mins

Title

Behind the Bright LIghts

Synopsis

This 30s film explains how the huge lighted Chevrolet sign in New York City worked, including how they made the letters crawl by spelling out various advertising messages. Produced by Jam Handy Organization for Chevrolet Division, General Motors Corporation. 1935.

Duration

7 mins

Title

Sky Billboards

Synopsis

Shows how skywriting works and demonstrates the making of an aerial Chevrolet advertisement. It features exquisite aerial photography and shots of the sky writing in progress. Produced by the Jam Handy Organization for Chevrolet Motor Company. 1935.

Duration

8 mins

Title

Time Savers for House Makers

Synopsis

This is a screen ad where a resigned looking housewife demonstrates the virtues of Elastic Starch. With this miracle "self-cooking" starch, there’s "no wax to add" and "no boiling, no cooking, no need to skim or strain!" The housewife portrayed here demonstrates the product in a melancholic way that contrasts with the unseen announcer’s shrill excitement. Just think - before this poor woman even got to point of ironing and starching, she had to wash the clothes by hand using a washboard. Then she put the clothes through a wringer, carried the clothing outside, hung it on the clothesline and hoped it wouldn’t rain. Is it any wonder she’s having trouble summoning any enthusiasm for Elastic Starch despite the fact that "it’s ready in no time at all?" It’s ten cents a "large package," but even that could have been beyond the budget of Depression era families in 1936, when this ad was made. Produced for Quick Elastic. 1936.

Duration

1 mins

Title

Film Mystery, A (Dreft Screen Ad)

Synopsis

This ad will show you how much times have changed in the past 70 years. The pitch is that Dreft Detergent would make a great gift if you have forgotten your wife’s birthday or anniversary. 1937.


Producer: N/A
Sponsor:Dreft
Year:1937
Length:00:01:00
Audio:Mono
Color: BLACK & WHITE

Duration

1 mins

Title

For Good Living (Brown Derby Beer Promo)

Synopsis

This ad for Brown Derby beer, a house brand of Safeway Stores, claims that beer drinking is healthy. It includes a guided tour through the brewing process. Hypnosis was the rage at the time and at one point the film actually tries to hypnotise the audience to buy more beer. Made for Safeway Stores. 1937.


Producer: N/A
Sponsor:Safeway Stores
Year:1937
Length:00:18:59
Audio:Mono

Duration

19 mins

Title

True Experience of Officer Harold Sewell, The

Synopsis

This is a dramatized screen ad showing how a flashlight powered by Eveready batteries prevents a train wreck. In just over one minute, this black and white sound film creates a tense true-life drama which succeeds not only artistically but as advertising.Produced for National Carbon Co. (Eveready Batteries). 1938.

Duration

1 mins

Title

To Market, To Market (Part 1)

Synopsis

General Outdoor Advertising sponsored this film designed to sell billboard advertising. Shows billboard after billboard while the narrator extols the virtues of "scientific placement", which mostly seems to involve putting billboards everywhere. Photography was not used much on 1940’s billboards, so this is an interesting view of advertising art and graphics of the period. Produced by the Jam Handy Organization for General Outdoor Advertising Company. 1942.

Duration

20 mins

Title

To Market, To Market (Part 2)

Synopsis

This sequel to TO MARKET, TO MARKET is shot in colour and presents a lively look at outdoor advertising in a metropolis. It’conveys the feeling of the buzzing forties. Produced by Jam Handy Organization for General Outdoor Advertising Company. 1942.

Duration

4 mins

Technical information

Title

Curtis-Wright Shorts (7 Subjects)

Synopsis

This is a collection of short screen ads recruiting workers for aircraft manufacturing jobs during World War II. Lowell Thomas narrates the first three ads and then the last four are done by an unseen narrator. Produced by : Jam Handy Organization for Curtiss-Wright Corporation. 1944.

Duration

9 mins

Title

Old Chinese Proverb, An: One Picture Is Worth Ten Thousand Words

Synopsis

This is a cinematic tour through the Jerry Fairbanks studios in Hollywood, showing the production of animation, television, industrial and advertising films. An introduction to the studio which made such shorts as FREEDOM HIGHWAY, CENTURY 21 CALLING and ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON. This film mainly focuses on his contributions to the Paramount industrial film collection. Included are titles such as SPEAKING OF ANIMALS and POTATOES UNLIMITED. Produced and sponsored by Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions. 1946.

Duration

22 mins

Distributor

Name

a2zcds.com

Email

support@A2ZCDS.com

Web

http://www.a2zcds.com External site opens in new window

Phone

+1 866 254-8579

Fax

+1 954 337-6215

Address

1618 Camerbur Drive
Orlando
Florida
32805
USA

Notes

Tel: or +1 321 251 5253

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