Thursday, May 31, 2018

The Father Of Advertising...!

Here is a tidbit of history you may not know, the so-called Father of Advertising was Freud's nephew. Here is the story from Listverse.

Edward Bernay



Edward Bernays was Sigmund Freud’s nephew, so it makes sense that he had great insight into the human mind. Whereas Freud used his knowledge to probe deep questions on the psyche, Bernays wanted to make a quick buck. He achieved this with his 1928 book Propaganda. The book is now considered the fundamental text for public relations. It lays out how corporations and institutions can mold public opinion. Because of this book, Bernays has been called the father of advertising. Even though Bernays was Jewish, Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels was a huge fan. Goebbels says he modeled his approaches after those in Bernay’s book. Bernay’s practices have been put to more benign uses as well.

Following the publication of Propaganda, Bernays’s first assignment was to help the Woodrow Wilson administration brand World War I as the US bringing democracy to Europe.[10] Advising Calvin Coolidge, Bernays was the first person to suggest that presidents eat pancake breakfasts with the electorate, a common practice today for politicians of any party. When women were not smoking cigarettes, he branded Lucky Strikes cigarettes as “torches of freedom” and put them in fashion shows. As a result, women started smoking cigarettes at unprecedented levels. Dixie Cups first became popular after he falsely claimed they were the only sanitary type of cup. Bernays helped organize the first meeting of the NAACP.

As important as those other campaigns were, his most scandalous was his work with the packing company Beechnut. When Americans were frequently just eating breakfasts of fruit, wheat, and milk, Bernays hired doctors to argue that people needed to eat hardier meals. These fabricated studies are the reason bacon and eggs are served at breakfast. It is hard to decide if Bernays’s legacy should be the man who helped the Nazis rise to power and give millions lung cancer or as the man who made bacon popular.

I'd say the man had a good mind for advertising and starting trends. Some I can agree with, others I don't. Maybe I should read his book, ya reckon?

Coffee in the kitchen again. Still too hot outside.

10 comments:

Mamahen said...

Pretty Interesting. Like you, I think some of his thinking was off the mark,but then maybe not since his main goal seemed to be getting rich. I'm thinking strawberries so good. Maybe shorcakes if everyone would like one:))

Gorges Smythe said...

I'll keep the bacon, Mamahen! ;-)

linda m said...

Sounds like an interesting fellow. Can't say that I agree with everything he did tho. Sun is out today.

Momlady said...

Say it often enough and people will believe it.

Rob said...

Bacon & eggs for breakfast? Really?

HermitJim said...

Hey Mamahen...
I'll certainly stand in line for strawberry shortcake.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Gorges...
Bacon is indeed a good thing!
Thanks for coming over this morning!


Hey Linda...
Glad that you are finally getting some sun.
Thanks for the visit this morning!


Hey Momlady...
Pretty sure you are right about that.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Rob...
What a concept, right? Breakfast of champions.
Thanks for coming over today!



JO said...

The man sure enough made his fortune. Like you and others some things were good some not.

All this talk about breakfast has started me thinking but it is far to early for me. But never to early for coffee, I'm there

HermitJim said...

Hey Jo...
Better stick to something light for breakfast, what with all the heat. Maybe some fresh fruit?
Thanks for dropping by, dear!

Mamahen said...

I love bacon but my stomach doesn't do well with greasy foods first thing in the morning, and save "breakfast" later in the day:))

HermitJim said...

Hey Mamahen...
Probably a very good idea. Of course, I could finish off your share of the bacon instead.
Thanks for the visit!