A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture

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Chronicles the creation, evolution, and manifestations of 100 significant products and symbols from 20th-century American consumer culture. In American cultural history, the 20th century could be described as the Century of the Consumer. The author has compiled 100 entries--ten per decade--that figured prominently in the rise of the consumer culture mass in the United States. This book tells the story behind the century's most popular products, slogans, and symbols. From Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound to the IBM "PC"; from Burma Shave billboards to the "Got Milk" ad campaign; from the Morton Salt Girl to Joe Camel, the Taco Bell Chihuahua, and the Budwelser Frogs, these "biographical" entries recount how Americans were romanced by consumer culture--and how consumer culture reflected changing attitudes, priorities, and values in America. A Century of American Icons offers a unique format, with entries that provide glimpses into American popular culture of each decade in the century. In addition to the history of advertising, economics, and the media, students will learn how perceptions of class, gender, and race were conveyed through advertising--and how those perceptions changed--between the years 1900 and 2000. Alphabetically arranged entries within each decade include bibliographic information on the product, and many vivid illustrations show the visual evolution of advertising icons and strategies throughout the century. Mary Cross offers a reference tool that serves as a cultural time capsule.

Reviews

.,."succeeds in making readers aware of the changes in attitudes and perceptions towards class, gender, race, and lifestyles as reflected through advertising in the 20th-century US. Highly recommended. All collections."-Choice
...succeeds in making readers aware of the changes in attitudes and perceptions towards class, gender, race, and lifestyles as reflected through advertising in the 20th-century US. Highly recommended. All collections.-Choice
Starred Review This text would be an asset for a communication, advertising/marketing, consumer education, sociology, or popular American culture course....This book gives students a new insight into the history of our country. Highly Recommended.-Library Media Connection
This volume will be especially useful for libraries supporting academic programs in business, economics and American studies.-Lawrence Looks at Books
..."succeeds in making readers aware of the changes in attitudes and perceptions towards class, gender, race, and lifestyles as reflected through advertising in the 20th-century US. Highly recommended. All collections."-Choice
"This volume will be especially useful for libraries supporting academic programs in business, economics and American studies."-Lawrence Looks at Books
"Starred Review This text would be an asset for a communication, advertising/marketing, consumer education, sociology, or popular American culture course....This book gives students a new insight into the history of our country. Highly Recommended."-Library Media Connection

Author Bio

Mary Cross is the editor of Advertising and Culture: Theoretical Perspectives (Prager, 1996). She is also the author of Henry James: The Contingencies of Style (1993). She has taught at the University of Delaware, the City University of New York, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was chair of the English Department. Cross is a former advertising copywriter.