Culture and Consumption: How the American Dream Influences Ads - Essay Sample

Introduction

Since culture greatly determines one's perception of the world as well as their place in it, culture has a significant influence on their behaviors and thought processes. Particularly, one's culture determines why and how they consume goods and services. In response to this phenomenon, businesses utilize people's culture to promote their products, especially through advertisement. The American Dream is an integral part of American culture. The concept, therefore, is greatly utilized in advertisements since it speaks to the ethos of Americans. The American Dream can be defined as the belief that all people, regardless of their place of birth or social status, can achieve success. Other than achieving success, the American Dream also holds that every citizen should be recognized for what they are, a factor that has become more important as the diversity in society increases. As will be shown in the advertisements discussed below, the definition and measure of success as envisioned in the American Dream has dramatically changed over the years. These changes have been captured in various advertisements. This paper seeks to discuss the perpetuation of the American Dream in ads.

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The Changing Face of the American Dream

As mentioned in the introduction, the changes in the elements of the American Dream have been brilliantly captured in ads. In the past, the accumulation of physical products was seen as an indicator of success. Also, people were increasingly buying products, not to satisfy their needs but as a show of status. This practice led to the emergence of the concept of conspicuous consumption. According to James A. Robert, "As long as consumers attempt to signal their social power through conspicuous consumption, the levels requires to make a visible statements of power will continue to rise" (Roberts 124). While conspicuous consumption still exists, it is mostly a characteristic of the upper class. The perceptions of success and status among the middle class, however, has greatly changed. Instead of concentrating on material accumulation, this demographic is increasingly seeking to make the most of what they already have and also focus more on creating memories. This shift is best depicted in IKEA's 2016 ad.

In tandem with the shift, materialism is not the main focus of the ad. Visibly, the photos of the furniture are moved to the margin of the page, and the words on the changes that the American Dream has undergone over the decades is the principal subject. In the words, the organization emphasizes that it is no longer about having more. Rather, being more should be the main focus. Bigger and better has also been replaced with smaller and more meaningful experiences. Through the ad, therefore, the company perpetuates the belief of the American Dream, as well as the changes it has undergone over the years. Per these changes, the company promises that its products will offer a satisfying life.

Hard work and sacrifice are some of the elements of the American Dream that have not changed much over the years. These elements are best depicted in the Cadillac 'American Dream' advertisement. While the car is the subject of the ad, it contains a heavy message on the rewards of hard work. Though becoming rich and successful may not be easy, the ad inspires the consumers to work hard to achieve success. Being an expensive car, the advertisement is meant mostly for the middle-aged population, who have already established themselves financially.

The 2017 Coca Cola Superbowl Ad

As mentioned earlier, the ability of all citizens to achieve happiness and success in an increasingly diversified society is one of the major elements of the American Dream. This element is best captured in this advertisement. In recent years, the United States has experienced a rise in divisions along political and social lines. Corporations, therefore, have attempted to use ads to heal these divisions. This goal has largely been achieved by invoking the ethos of the nation, such as the American Dream. This particular advertisement featured people of different languages singing America the Beautiful. While some people might have decried the use of non-English languages, the ad was a depiction of the increasing diversity in the country. At a time when the country was largely divided, the advertisement helped bring people together despite their differences. While minority groups have raised concerns over marginalization and discrimination in the recent past, they are used in the ad to show that they are part of the American Dream. All the scenes in the ad depict happy people and hence is a perpetuation of the achievement of happiness by all, a vital element of the American Dream. Therefore, while the advertisement may be seen as political by some people, it presents a promise of a nation for everyone. The multiculturalism and diversity depicted in the ad was a strategy to sell the beverage to all demographics across the country. Besides, the various elements of the American Dream are intricately woven in the ad.

Differences with the Advertisements of the Past

As revealed in the examples given above, the American Dream has greatly changed over the years. Its representation in advertisements has also changed. In this light, therefore, it is important to compare the modern depiction of the American Dream with that of the past. Print ads in the 20th century had an overrepresentation of the middle, upper-middle, as well as the upper class. However, this did not reflect the real class constitution in the country. Similarly, the working, as well as the lower income classes, were underrepresented in these ads. While the income inequality in the country has risen, and upward mobility has mostly stagnated, little has changed in the way businesses target various demographics in advertisements. For instance, while the likelihood of the modern generation earning more than their parents has fallen by 40% in the last 50 years, advertisements have barely responded to the change (Beer). Besides, many Americans wrongly believe that they belong to the middle-class today, and hence the perpetuation of the misrepresentation (Paulson and O'Guinn 7). The representation of other demographics in ads is also wrong. For instance, Steve Craig holds that "Men and women both drink beer, but you wouldn't guess that from the television ad…" (Craig 182).

The stagnation of wage growth and the rise in inequality can also be blamed for the changes in the depiction of the American Dream, as seen in the IKEA advert. This notwithstanding, the American Dream in advertisements, both form the past and present, is an affirmation of the aspirational goals that Americans hold. However, the American Dream has largely been challenged over the years, and its depiction in advertisements today is not as demographically and economically accurate as it was in the past. Though there was an overrepresentation of the rich and under-representation of the working class in the past, the American Dream resonated with the people's daily reality pretty well. However, the representation of the American Dream in today's ads is more of a myth. Most Americans are not living it.

As seen in the advert above, the period following World War II was characterized by high prosperity, which in turn increased materialism. The optimism and hope held by the people were reflected in the advertisements. At around this time, ads were primarily centered around happy lives and depicted people living lives that were almost perfect (Chapman). Materialistic and individualistic lens were used to display the American Dream during this period. These ideals led to the creation of a consumer culture that has persisted up to today. Moreover, while several things were forbidden in the 1950s, they are now approved as captured in Thomas Frank's Commodify Your Dissent. He holds that the countercultural idea of the 1950s sought to "suppress instinct, to forbid sex and pleasure, to deny basic human impulses and individuality…" as a way of establishing plastic consumerism through rigid uniformity (Frank and Weiland 151).

Conclusion

As shown in the paper, while the ideals of the American Dream have significantly changed over the years, the belief remains an integral part of the nation's culture. Though the economy has undergone significant changes, the elements of hard work and sacrifice, as well as the pursuit of prosperity, are still critical aspects of the belief. The culture has greatly influenced consumer behavior, and hence the American Dream is hugely depicted in advertisements. In the Coca Cola ad discussed, the possibility of achieving happiness and success despite one's race or status, a vital element of the American Dream, is depicted. The Cadillac ad shows the importance of hard work. While advertisements are responding to changes in consumer culture in the nation, as shown in the IKEA ad, the situation was different in the 1950s. In this period, characterized by great prosperity, ads showed that more is better, as shown in the "After total war can come total living" ad. However, despite the changes in consumer behavior, primarily fuelled by economic and demographic shifts, the materialistic nature of the American Dream remains and is visible in modern ads.

Works Cited

Beer, Jeff. "The Ad industry keeps selling An American Dream that most aren't living." 18 January 2018. Fast Company. 30 May 2020. <https://www.fastcompany.com/40516540/the-ad-industry-keeps-selling-an-american-dream-that-most-arent-living>.

Chapman, Hannah. "Sponsored by materialism and individualism: The American Dream in advertising since the 1950's." 28 April 2016. Mythology, Folklore & More. 30 May 2020. <https://rampages.us/chapmancaroline/2016/04/28/sponsored-by-materialism-and-individualism-the-american-dream-in-advertising-since-the-1950s/>.

Craig, Steve. Men's Men and Women's Women. n.d.

Frank, Thomas and Matt Weiland. ommodify your dissent: Salvos from the baffler. WW Norton & Company, 1997.

Paulson, Erika L. and Thomas C. O'Guinn. "Marketing social class and ideology in post-world-war-two American print advertising." Journal of Macromarketing 38.1 (2018): 7-28. <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0276146717733788>.

Roberts, James A. The Treadmill of Consumption. n.d.