Advertising During War Time
Lindsay Smith
As I am writing a class paper on how World War I prompted rebellious art and political movements, I start to think about the events of our current war on advertising and art. In reaction against the carnage of World War I, the Dada movement emerged in the early 1900’s as the “anti-art” and had a strong negative and destructive element.
Pondering our current situation, I search for parallels. While comparing the print advertising from five years ago to today, the only art element that strikes me as being different is that design has become less frivolous. Designers tend towards the classic font families instead of the display fonts, which conveys a more efficient message. I believe that society views “fanciful” lifestyle as inappropriate during serious times of war and concern about the environment and economy. Rebellion to society continues to appeal to the younger markets, such as the Virgin mobile ads that hardly make any rational sense, which is the best parallel to the chaotic nature of the Dada Movement that I could find.
The more commonly debated issue with the war and advertising is that service industries are the first to take a hit in a shaky economy.
Extremists on the issue feel that the prospect of war in Iraq has dashed hopes of an economic recovery and sent advertisers' confidence plummeting to its lowest levels in overa decade. The latest results of the Chartered Institute of Marketing's quarterly marketing trends survey show “advertisers are so concerned about the Iraqi situation they are preparing to slash their marketing budgets, with advertising likely to be the first to suffer.” According to the CIM, "It now appears that sales plans set at a time of greater optimism three months ago now are widely believed to be unrealistic."
I tend to share the sentiments of Tim Bowdler, CEO of the publisher best known for its ownership of the Yorkshire Post, who stated, "Our revenues are about consumer confidence in local regions and I don't think much will change in the event of war. National brands will probably advertise less but local car dealers, estate agents and recruiters should continue to spend as before."
As an agency with primarily local clients, we do not face the same economic threats as national brands. While the aesthetic of design is altered slightly by society views of the war, we should not anticipate a reduction in client’s advertising spending.Afterall, advertising is a catalyst towards a stronger economy—because we stimulate spending.
