Consumerism Lecture

CONSUMERISM : PERSUASION , SOCIETY , BRAND , CULTURE

• Aims - Analyse the rise of US consumerism
• Discuss the links between consumerism and our unconscious desires
• Sigmund Freud 
• Edmund Bernays
• Consumerism as social control

2002 - Century of self - Adam Curtis Documentary

1991 - No Logo - Naomi Klein 

Sigmund Freud 1856-1939

• New theory of human nature
• Psychoanalysis
• Hidden primitive sexual forces and animal instincts which need controlling 
• The interpretation of dreams 1899
• The unconscious 1915
• The ego and the ID 1932
• Beyond the pleasure principle 1920
• Civilisation & its Discontents 1930

Freuds model of personality structure

• 1930 - Fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual
• Human instincts incompatible with the well being of community.
• The pleasure principle

WW1 1914 - 18 

Freud said he wasn't surprised it is the nature of human beings , they're going to find there release.

Edward Bernays 1891-1995

• press agent
• employed by public informatikon during WW1
• Post war - set up 'The council on public realtions'
• Birth of PR
• Based on the ideas of Freud (his uncle)
• Crystallizing public opinion 1923 
• Propaganda 1982

Torches of Freedom

• 1929 Easter day Parade.
• Employed by tobacco company to try and get women to smoke.
• It was photographed all these beautiful women smoking. 
• They said it was a political protest - torches of freedom against mail oppression.
• In the public conciseness smoking was a symbol of status freedom , sex appeal.
• A symbol of power

1924

• Product placement 
• Celebrity endorsements - he would represent them they would earn money as well as him
• The use of pseudo - scientific reports

Fordism

• Henry ford 1863 1947
• Transposes taylorism to car factories of Detroit
• Moving assembly line
• Standard production models built as they move through the factory
• Requires large investment but increases productivity so much that relatively high wages can be paid allowing the workers to buy the product they produce.
• The Model T Ford 1908-1927

Chivers jam the way its advertised  - ' I see you were lucky to' no body wants any other jam everyone wants chivers.

Aunt Jemima's pancake flower didn't sell very well because women thought they weren't being a good house wife because they were buying pre-made mix. After a while it did sell the women and mothers had a desire for creating something. & for people who couldn't cook it was a short cut.

1909 - Olds mobile - advertising changed to more physiological selling. Fuelling peoples desires. Targeting to men who want to improve there image.
Very quickly marketing begins to feed of it.

NEED Chanel DESIRE Chanel 

False needs based on desire , people don't want these things they just feed there desire.

Marketing hidden needs 

• Selling emotional security 
• Selling reassurance of worth 
• Selling ego - gratification
• Companies realised if you can trade to a sense of worth.
• Selling Creative outlets
• Selling love objects
• Selling sense of power.
• Selling a sense of roots
• Selling of immortality 

1920

• A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd ' Manufacturing consent'
• If we can feed the bewildered heard that is everyones desires taken care of - Manufacturing consent.
• Public opinion - Walter Lippmann

Russian Revolution 1917 '' peace land & bread ''

Oct 24 1929 ' Black Tuesday ' 

• One of the biggest stock crashes - wall st. in panic as stocks crash
• Started the great depression

Roosevelt and the 'New Deal' (1933-36)

• Introduce benefits 
• welfare
• social security
• job creation
• pension
• investment in history
• Need to be brought into light

New york worlds fair 1939 

• Large cash register style building
• Futuristic 
• Restore your faith in the companies
• 6m Long 3m wide

'Democracity'

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 C21st of society
• The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation continue to this day
• To what extent are our lives free under the western society .