Advertising - Overview
Advertising is meant to persuade, and the themes and techniques of that persuasion reveal a part of the nation's history. The Museum has preserved advertising campaigns for several familiar companies, such as Marlboro, Alka-Seltzer, Federal Express, Cover Girl, and Nike. It also holds the records of the NW Ayer Advertising Agency and business papers from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Carvel Ice Cream, and other companies. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana comprises thousands of trade cards, catalogs, labels, and other business papers and images dating back to the late 1700s.
Beyond advertising campaigns, the collections encompass thousands of examples of packaging, catalogs, and other literature from many crafts and trades, from engineering to hat making. The collections also contain an eclectic array of advertising objects, such as wooden cigar-store Indians, neon signs, and political campaign ads.
"Advertising - Overview" showing 6 items.
- No Image Available
The "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documentation Collection, 1938-1986
- Notes
- In 1983, as part of the 20th anniversary of the "Pepsi Generation" umbrella advertising campaign, Pepsi-Cola donated to the Archives Center approximately 200 flat advertising and promotional items (see Collection #92). The Archives Center accepted these items and proposed an oral history project to document the story of the "Pepsi Generation."
- The Archives Center embarked upon this project in the Spring of 1983. A professional oral historian, Dr. Scott Ellsworth, conducted 29 interviews over one and a half years with 26 people involved in Pepsi advertising, including bottlers, advertising executives, producers, directors, a songwriter, a performer, a publisher, the president of Pepsi, the chairman of the board, and two former Pepsi presidents
- The interviews focus primarily on the "Come Alive, You're In The Pepsi Generation" advertising campaign, Pepsi's adoption of youth-oriented advertising; campaign execution; television commercial production; background of the idea for the "Think Young" campaign and the company's response to the "Pepsi Generation"campaign
- Summary
- Research files: Materials collected by the Archives Center to provide background for the project team and materials produced by Pepsi-Cola, including an almost complete run of Pepsi-Cola World, the company publication,and various trade literature, both advertising and soft drink industry
- Interviewee files: Abstracts for each interview, indexes to each interview, master index to the collection, brief biographical statements on each interviewee, and additional information, such as resumes, articles, etc
- Oral history interviews: form the bulk of the collection. They contain rich material on the relationship between Pepsi and its ad agency, how television commercials are produced, the early days of television and the bottlers' role in advertising. Approximately 100 television advertisements, 1946-1984, which illustrate many subjects that the interviewees mention in the interviews. These commercials also show developments in television such as changes in editing techniques, greater spontaneity in acting, and the increased use of action scenes. A list of the commercial titles and running times is available
- The series also includes a video program produced as part of a small exhibit composed of 12 ads with voice-overs of seven interviewees; jingles used in a "pitch" for an ad campaign; international Pepsi jingles; and several versions of music for the "Girlwatchers" Diet Pepsi campaign
- Cite as
- The "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documentation Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1938
- 1938-1986
- 1930-1990
- 1980-2000
- collector
- Archives Center, NMAH, SI
- interviewer
- Ellsworth, Scott Dr
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Marlboro Oral History and Documentation Project, ca. 1940-1986
- Notes
- Philip Morris, Inc. was originally a British company dating from 1847. Incorporated in U.S. 1919; overseas division established 1955. Diversified by acquiring paper, beer, soft drink, and packaged goods companies; became largest U.S. tobacco company. Marlboro cigarettes introduced 1924, "reintroduced" 1954. "Marlboro Country" is a landmark advertising campaign in which western American imagery became the motif for Marlboro cigarettes. By 1963, the "Marlboro Country" campaign had become the exclusive imagery for advertising the cigarette
- Dr. Scott Ellsworth, oral historian, conducted interviews, 1985-1987, with 60 persons associated with Marlboro advertising and marketing. 27 interviews were conducted overseas, in Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and West Germany
- Summary
- Documents the development of Marlboro cigarette advertising, 1954-1986, through oral history interviews and related print and electronic media. Print ads, posters, and commercials complement the interviews by providing visual records. Additional information in Research, Interviewee, and Administrative files to place individuals and advertisements into historic context
- Interviewees (listed below) include Philip Morris executives, advertising agency personnel, photographers, production staff, sales and marketing personnel, and cowboys who modelled for print ads and television commercials
- Series 4: includes (A) proof sheets from the Marlboro Country campaign, 1981-1986; (B) Marlboro posters in English, Spanish, and German, 1984-1985; (C) 35mm color slides of Marlboro print advertisements (2 sets), 1927-1986; (D) Marlboro television commercials, 1955-1986 (master and researcher videotapes); (E) Marlboro radio commercials, 1956-1957 and 1986
- Cite as
- Marlboro Oral History and Documentation Project, 1954-1986, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1940
- 1986
- ca 1940-1986
- 20th century
- 1940-1990
- 20th Century
- 1980-1990
- 1960-1990
- 1950-2000
- donor
- Philip Morris, Inc
- interviewee
- Nunez, Raul
- Marx, Dick
- Arguelles, Rafael
- Adams, Hall
- Zinn, Manfredo
- Fockler, Knut
- Landry, Jack
- Kwan, William
- Gil, Felipe
- Kwong, Goddard
- interviewer
- Ellsworth, Scott Dr
- interviewee
- Jarrard, Tom
- Winfield, Darrel
- advertising agency
- Leo Burnett, Inc
- Local number
- 1989.3098 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Shirley Polykoff Oral History Interview, 1990
- Summary
- Oral history describing her career in advertising, especially the creation of the Clairol advertisement "Does She or Doesn't She?" in the 1950s
- Cite as
- Shirley Polykoff Oral History Interview, Archives Center, 1990, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1990
- interviewee
- Polykoff, Shirley
- interviewer
- Ellsworth, Scott Dr
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
The Federal Express Advertising History Collection, 1972-1988
- Notes
- In 1971, Fred Smith of Memphis created the Federal Express Corporation, an overnight air freight delivery system. A fleet of airplanes would fly packages from across the nation each evening to a center in Memphis, where the packages would be unloaded, sorted, and re-loaded onto other planes for travel to the final destination. In 1981, the corporation achieved a revenue of one billion dollars
- The core of the collection is a series of interviews conducted 1987-1988 by Dr. Scott Ellsworth. 25 persons associated with Federal Express advertising were interviewed, producing approx. 32 hours of taped materials. Interviews conducted primarily in Memphis, New York, Chicago, and on location at the filming of a commercial in Hollywood
- Summary
- Includes interviews with persons involved in Federal Express advertising, related documents, advertisements for paper and electronic media (especially television commercials), storyboards, clippings, posters, etc. Topics addressed in taped interviews are the use of research data, the position of advertising in overall marketing strategy, and the nature of the creative process in producing effective advertising images in various media
- Interviews include Federal Express executives and marketing staff, graphic artists, advertising copywriters, and other personnel from the Ally & Gargano and Fallon McElligott advertising agencies; also filmmaker Joseph Sedelmaier and actor John Moschitta, Jr. ("the fast-talking man")
- Cite as
- The Federal Express Advertising History Collection, 1972-1988, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1972
- 1972-1988
- 1970-1990
- collector
- Archives Center, NMAH, SI
- interviewee
- Williams, Carl
- Smith, Fred
- Altenburg, Nancy
- Sedelmaier, Joe filmmaker
- Kelly, Patrick
- Ally, Carl
- Presley, Carol
- Gargano, Amil
- Moschitta, John actor
- Miller, William B
- Tesch, Mike
- Burnham, Patrick
- Frazier, Sharon
- Oliver, Tom
- interviewer
- Ellsworth, Scott Dr
- creator
- Federal Express Corporation
- advertising agency
- Ally & Gargano, Inc.
- creator
- Fallon McElligott Advertising Agency
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Cover Girl Advertising Oral History and Documentation Project, 1959-1990
- Notes
- This project is the result of a year-long study of advertising created for the Noxell Corporation's Cover Girl make-up products, 1959-1990. The effort was supported in part by a grant from the Noxell Corporation. The target audience was identified as women 18-54, and initially, the "glamour" ads were targeted at women's magazines, while the "medicated" claims were reserved for teen magazines. Television ads featured both elements. Cover Girl advertising has always featured beautiful women (especially Caucasian women), but the Cover Girl image evolved over time to conform with changing notions of beauty. In the late 1950s-1960s, the Cover Girl was refined and aloof, a fashion conscious sophisticate. By the 1970s, a new social emphasis on looking and dressing "naturally" and the introduction of the "Clean Make-up" campaign created a new advertising focus on the wholesome glamour of the "girl next door," a blue-eyed, blonde all-American image. Through the 1980s, the Cover Girl look was updated to include African-American and Hispanic models and images of women at work
- Summary
- Twenty-two oral history interviews (conducted by Dr. Scott Ellsworth for the Archives Center) and a variety of print and television advertisements, photographs, scrapbooks, personal papers, business records and related materials were gathered by the Center for Advertising History staff. The objective was to create a collection that provides documentation, in print and electronic media, of the history and development of advertising for Cover Girl make-up since its inception in 1959
- Collection also includes earlier material related to other Noxell products, including Noxzema, with no direct connection to the Cover Girl campaign
- Cite as
- Cover Girl Advertising Oral History & Documentation Project, 1959-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1959
- 1990
- 1959-1990
- 1950-2000
- 1890-1900
- 1950-1990
- 20th century
- 1990-2000
- donor
- Noxell Corporation
- interviewee
- Bergin, John
- Brinkley, Christie
- Bunting, George L. Jr
- Colonel, Sheri
- Ford, Eileen
- Giordano, Lynn
- Grathwohl, Geraldine
- Hall, L. C. "Bates"
- Harrison, Fran
- Huebner, Dick
- Hunt, William D
- Lindsay, Robert
- MacDougall, Malcolm
- McIver, Karen
- Nash, Helen
- Noble, Stan
- Oelbaum, Carol
- O'Neill, Jennifer
- Pelligrino, Nick
- Roberts, F. Stone
- Tiegs, Cheryl
- Troup, Peter
- Witt, Norbert
- author
- Ellsworth, Scott Dr
- donor
- Poris, George
- Weithas, Art
- Subject
- Noxzema Chemical Company
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Nike Advertising Oral History and Documentation Collection, 1976-1992
- Notes
- Interviews conducted for the Archives Center by Dr. Scott Ellsworth, oral historian
- Summary
- Thirty-one oral history interviews were conducted by historian Scott Ellsworth with advertising, marketing and product development executives at Asics, Nike, John Brown & Co., Chiat/Day/Mojo and Wieden & Kennedy. A variety of related materials were gathered by the Center for Advertising History staff. The objective of the project was to create a collection that documents in print and electronic media the history and development of the company and its advertising campaigns. The collection is also a rich source of visual imagery in the portrayal of athletes, women and African-Americans
- Cite as
- Nike Advertising Oral History and Documentation Collection, 1976-1992, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1976
- 1976-1992
- 1970-2000
- 1970-1990
- creator
- Nike, Inc
- interviewee
- Bedbury, Scott
- Bowerman, William
- Brown, John A
- Champ, Janet
- Clarke, Tom
- Clow, Lee
- Conlon, Jerry
- Davenport, Bill
- Dolan, Liz
- Donohue, Richard
- interviewer
- Ellsworth, Scott Dr
- interviewee
- Farris, Nelson
- Hale, Cindy
- Hoffman, Susan
- Jaqua, John
- Jackson, Bo
- Johnson, Jeff
- Kitami, Shoji
- Knight, Phillip
- McConnell, Pam
- Moore, Charlotte
- Moore, Kenny
- Moore, Peter
- Onitsuka, Kimachiro
- Parker, Mark
- Riswold, Jim
- Robinson, Charles
- Sakaguchi, Tokio
- Stobie, Patsy Mest
- Strasser, Robert (marketing executive)
- Thomashow, Mark
- Wieden, Dan
- Subject
- Weiden & Kennedy
- Asics
- Onitsuka
- Adidas
- Local number
- 1991.3087 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH