Lecture 7Creative RevolutionGrowing importance of styleCynicism about consumer societyCreative Revolution1920s  1980sWe see a lot of interesting changes regarding advertisingProducer-led Paradigm (1960s: it began to taper off)1960s: Creative Revolution emerges, revamp how people thought of advertisingMaking ProductsProducer led paradigm stressed functionality over styleBut new ways of thinking start to change itEconomic value of style (style actually can boost sales and profits)Two ways that people started to realize this:1. Popular styling could boost salesIf they styled products in a popular way, increase of salesEX: Streamlining (the way to design a product that you round off all the edges so that air flows more smoothly over those surfaces)  some products for which streamlining has a functional value, such as airplanes (it would be smoother in the air, quieter), at the time streamlining was attractive as it was new, modern, and fast.  took streamlining look and applied it to other products to style them, so motorcycles got a streamline look, ferry boats, bicycles, scooters, even furniture, household appliances, there is no functional reason to streamline this stuff, just styleStreamlining as example that designers realized if they styled things a certain way, they would sell b/c of how they look2. Planned obsolescenceThe practice of regularly changing styles of products in order to boost salesEX: cell phones (a new phone is constantly coming out, styled differently, thinner, bigger screen)Alfred P. Sloan (CEO of General Motors in 1941)  “today the appearance of a motorcar is a most important factor in the selling end of the business—perhaps the most important factor—because everyone knows the car will run”Marketers and businesses started to realize how important style and style changes were in boosting salesBut consumer cynicismPeople being cynical about advertising in the 1950s emerged, “The Hidden Persuaders” was the first book talking about the tactics and strategies markers used to get people to buy more stuff, it was very critical of advertising/marketing“The Waste Makers”: the empty promises of consumer society, attention to implications of living in a consumer society where if you don’t like it, buy another“The Lonely Crowd”: the emptiness of consumer society, alienation in which people chasing after their dreams/be happy by buying things are just empty promises“The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” cynical movie, gets paid twice as much but doesn’t do anything, cynicism of consumer societyEmerging ProblemThis growing cynicism and awareness is a growing problem if you are in advertisingProducer led paradigm is increasingly becoming ineffective in producing products/services, they don’t buy these cheesy ads anymoreSo, how do you rethink advertising/encourage an increasingly cynical public to believe advertising?  CREATIVE REVOLUTION gets kicked offCreative RevolutionDramatic changes both in advertising (how they are done) and in terms of how agencies were organized, dramatic changesThis is a steady development still going on today, not only in the 60s3 names to know from the Creative Revolution:Bill BernbachHe studied music, philosophy, and business at NYU, worked with designer Paul Rand (learned from him the value of having a writer and designer working together), also learned from Rand the idea of less is more (if ads simple and restrained rather than tons of headlines and such, the clearer the message was and more persuasive)1947 memo: he sent a memo to everyone saying we have to get rid of rules/formulas for good advertisingHe thought rules were what ad people should ignore, reason being the number one thing ad people need to do is get attention to their adFresh, innovative, original, totally opposite of producer led way of thinkingBernbach and creative teamsNo assembly line, instead he organized people in teams (put a creative director, copy director, art director, etc. all in a team)He insisted on agency autonomy (felt strongly that the creative work his people did shouldn’t be changed just b/c a client wants to change it)  wouldn’t work with a client if they tried to changeTraditional car ads  before creative revolution, they would show the car really big and long, they would show color and people enjoying it, use “cheesy ad talk  car ads DDB style  show it short and small, don’t use color, rarely show people, use wry humor and talk straight to peopleVW:small is better,unchanging styles every year is good,honest company with empty changes, ugly is honest,fit new lifestyle,humble plain and honest gets you aheadused this in car rentalsModern life is weirdWould use that modern life is plain weird, stuff happens (weird, funny ads), ads about the phoniness of ads created a new kind of advertising inspiring a new generation of creative people, transformed the business, best Volkswagen adsDavid OgilvyUnderstood selling is really about emotion, the consumer wants meaning, he left his way of thinkingMary WellsFirst agency headed by a woman, her ads were sophisticated, good catchy jinglesCreative Revolution (Summary)Growing importance of styleHad a dollars and cents value, wasn’t just an add on, sometimes it was the most important thingAdvertising thought of as an art, not as a scienceRequiring creativity and innovationCreative Revolution insinuated a changed relationship between sellers and buyersCompanies no longer being superiorADPR 3100 1st Edition Lecture 7 Outline of Last Lecture I. “Paradigms” in consumer society II. ManufacturingIII. MarketingOutline of Current Lecture II. Creative Revolutiona. Growing Importance of Style b. Cynicism about consumer societyc. Creative Revolution i. Bill Bernbach Current Lecture Lecture 7Creative Revolution-Growing importance of style-Cynicism about consumer society-Creative Revolution 1920s  1980s - We see a lot of interesting changes regarding advertising- Producer-led Paradigm (1960s: it began to taper off) - 1960s: Creative Revolution emerges, revamp how people thought of advertising Making Products - Producer led paradigm stressed functionality over style- But new ways of thinking start to change itThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.o Economic value of style (style actually can boost sales and profits)