2. Lecture - Consumerism

17 / 10 / 13

LECTURE 2
CONSUMERISM.
PERSUASION / SOCIEL / BRAND / CULTURE

SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939)
The farther of phyco analysis and new ways of understanding the human nature.

Due to our animal past, we still have hidden yet strong desires such as anger which, if not controlled can lead to distraction. Society stops us from carry out such acts of violence.

FREUD'S MODEL OF PERSONAITY STRUCTURE.
This diagram suggest that we can only work out a tiny bit of out personalities (the tip of the iceberg). the true, deep and unconscious instincts and personal traits.

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

'In this seminal book, Sigmund Freud enumerates what he sees as the fundamental tensions between civilization and the individual. The primary friction, he asserts, stems from the individual's quest for instinctual freedom and civilization's contrary demand forconformity and instinctual repression. Freud states that when any situation that is desired by the pleasure principle is prolonged, then it creates a feeling of mild contentment. Thus our possibilities of happiness are restricted by the law. Many of humankind's primitive instincts (for example, the desire to kill and the insatiable craving for sexual gratification) are clearly harmful to the well-being of a human community. As a result, civilization creates laws that prohibit killing, rape, and adultery, and it implements severe punishments if such rules are broken. This process, argues Freud, is an inherent quality of civilization that instills perpetual feelings of discontent in its citizens.

Freud's theory is based on the notion that humans have certain characteristic instincts that are immutable. Most notable are the desires for sex, and the predisposition to violent aggression towards authority figures and towards sexual competitors, which both obstruct the gratification of a person's instincts.'

SOURCE

Freud argued that we all have a strong desire for violence and sex, however society reframe us from acting out like this because of the laws that are in place. This means, to a certain extent we will never be happy and are repressed desire have to one out in other ways but are never truly reprised.

'CIVILISATION WILL MAKE US DISCONTENTED.'

We should expect that the whole world will destroy itself because the human nature can not release these needs of mass morbid desires. 

After the 1st world war, the west gains a lot of the wealth and becomes proporos and starts to developing as a stronger country.

EDWARD BERNAYS (1891-1995)
- Press agent employed by the public
- Post war set up 'the council on public relations' birth of the PR.
- Business was based on idea of Freud (his uncle).

'Any kind of business can succeed if you base the product on these animalistic instincts, you can make a false need for that product.'



At the time it was Taboo for women to smoke. Bernays was hired by a tobacco company and he used a commercial stunt to advertise and pre mote.
He took women to a populated area and hinted to the press that something was about to happen, at a given time all of these women lit up a cigarette and were snapped doing so.

They were denounced as sufrajets who protested for human rights of women. The fact of smoking a cigarette gave them power equality and sex appeal.

'He attached something meaningless to the hidden instincts of the human race.'

Bernays brought in product placement, celebrity endorsement to pre mote and advertise product to the public which are now still big parts of commercialism today.

THROUGH THIS CONNECTION OF AN INSTINCTUAL DESIRE TO A PRODUCT MEANS THAT IF YOU BUY IT THAT NEED IS THEN CONTENT



FORDISM
After the war, America became more fluent and developed a system that helped to produce items on a mass scale. 

This was most evident in in the process of making automobiles.
Instead of making a car, break this down into different peaces and share them out over a production line, with smaller components of the vehicle being made by one person.

This requires large investment but increase productivity so much that relatively high wages meaning they had more disposable income.

Pria to this moment, the brand was really just a name. 
Commodities were traded in huge numbers so it was important to have something to make you stand out form everyone ease. This comes in the form of a brand which will help different buyers and sellers to distinguish them selves from the rest. Making the products look special.



Berneys started to play off this trend.

Aunt jemima's pancake flour - pre mixed pancake flour.

This product was not a popular brand and did not sell very well. This was because house wives felt that using this product would be cheating as it was already pre made, makeing them less of a housewife or mother.

Under Berneys, this brand changed its approach by making the mix so you now had to crack an egg in to the flour mix for the mix to work. This changed everything for the housewives who now had something that satisfied their desires to cook and provide for their families. 

OLDS MOBILE
Marketing strategies started to change as more advertisements were using these instinctual desire of the human to give a false sense of a need.

The act of having a car, having power and power over women and having the power to go were ever you wanted. Marketing started to feed off of this.


CADILLAC
Associated with wealth and success through their advertising.

Future starts to shift from needing this to a society based on desires.
(I need a car to drive and get around = I want a car so I look wealthy and powerful.)
(I need this perfume because i smell = I want the perfume because i want to look like and be like that celebrity endorsing it.)

Marketing hidden needs - Vance Packard
selling emotional security / Selling reassurance of worth

Agood example of this:

There was a study on Fridge freezers that showed that they actually loose you money rather than saving it due to the waist of food that gets left over by filling it. However they were sold due to the fact that people felt secure knowing they had a lot of food in the house.

Selling ego-gratification - Having this will make you better and you are successful.


AFTER THE WAR
Party politicians started to become interested in this. If we can feed the bewildered herd and make sure ether are satisfied, then we can keep them contented making them easier to govern and control.

RUSSIA - The peoples uprising / Communist revolution 
The americans found this intimidating so they wanted to spread this construction of control in own existing policy.

BLACK TUESDAY (1920's)
The country went broke and went into recession.
Ruesevelt and the 'new deal' introduction of well fair and better pensions and job creation as well as investment in industry. This was governmental control in wealth creation.

EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK - WORLD FAIR
All thats great about American culture (steered by Edward Berneys)

This fair was full of futuristic building and vehicles and travel systems to show what the world could be like. Promoting democracy with big businesses by showing that buying and investing will help bring this world to reality. However this is not freedom and it is just a feeling and not reality. 


CONCLUTION
We are a democracy however we are very limited in what we can ado and the choices we make, this can be through the lack of earnings and money. If you believe you have the best of what is available to us then we are docile and content and this is what the movement want and control us through.

To what extent are our lives free?