Advertising to the American Woman

1900–1999

Daniel Delis Hill

“This book is a 'one stop shopping' source for information on advertising to women. It provides a thorough historical picture of how firms targeted consumers during different eras and different life-stages.” —Roger Blackwell, co-author of Customers Rule! Why the E-Commerce Honeymoon Is Over

Whether they’re students of advertising history or just reminiscing, readers will be entertained by Advertising to the American Woman. This is a lavishly illustrated survey of how the mass production of consumer goods, the development of the advertising industry, and the evolution of women's roles in society inextricably progressed through the twentieth-century. The author focuses on the marketing perspective of the topic, rather than on the consumer’s point of view. Inevitably, a number of cultural themes run throughout the work, illustrating in an innovative way how women’s roles in society have shifted during the past hundred years. Among the key issues explored is a peculiar dichotomy of American advertising that served as a conservative reflection of society and yet, at the same time, became an  underlying force of progressive social change. For example, this study shows how advertisers of housekeeping products perpetuated the Happy Homemaker stereotype while tobacco and cosmetics marketers dismantled women's stereotypes to create an entirely new type of consumer. This is an ideal book for the student of women and/or advertising and will appeal to a large audience, including those interested in advertising, mass communication, women’s studies, American history, and fashion design.

Daniel Delis Hill is Senior eCommerce Marketing Manager with Clarke American, Inc. He was Sales Promotion Manager for Modern Woman and Director of Creative Services with Wentworth Media.