From Poodles To Presley
Americans Enter The Atomic Age. Exerpt from the book 'All-American Ads of the 50s' by Jim Heimann
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Television, the new media giant that was a plaything in the 1930s and introduced to the public in the 1940s, had become in the '50s an all-consuming monolith absorbing the attention of every man, woman and child across the country. In just five years, the sale of TV sets climbed from 3.1 million in 1950 to more than 32 million by mid-decade. Game shows, cartoons, variety shows, Westerns, cop shows and an endless variety of sit-at-home entertainment entranced American viewers night after night. Technological advances rapidly increased the size of TV sets and advertisers prompted consumers to go for the 21-inch set that was the price of the 17-inch set. Ads for Crosley televisions emphasized family viewing with "full room vision." Within a few years, this trend was reversed and sets were being downsized for portability. "The personal TV for take it with you use" was how GE advertised the new portable. By 1959, Americans were staring at the "boob tube" for an average of six hours a day, seven days a week. Its across-the-board appeal would directly compete with and disable the motion picture industry. Eventually it also would erode the world of print, signaling the slow decline of American magazine advertising.
Music in the early 1950's was affected by the changing tastes of the post-war period. The slow elimination of the Big Band sound which had dominated the music world for almost two decades was replaced in the charts by a range of tunes that were a mixture of sweet vocals, ballads, a bit of hillbilly/country and mood music. Liberace, dressed in a tuxedo while playing at his candlelit grand piano, exemplified this musical malaise. Making up to a million dollars a year, he catered to these sappy tastes. Just as popular was Mitch Miller, and his Sing Along with Mitch albums which sold 1.75 million records in fifteen months. With the jukebox fading and replaced by the potent combination of TV, the portable record player and the compact 45-rpm record, the music scene was ripe for a change. By far the defining moment in this musical hodgepodge was the eruption of rock and roll in the mid 1950s. Led by black artists who defined the roots of rock, it was Elvis Presley who captured the attention of the huge teenage population and changed the direction of American music for generations to come. His first three singles sold over a million copies and he had amassed 120 million in record and merchandising sales by 1960. Elvis as a phenomenon was quickly followed by other teenage idols. Their popularity was boosted by TV programs such as Dick Clark's American Bandstand, the top rated teenage program that could make or break a rising star. The world of rock and roll was largely ignored by print advertisers in mass market magazines. Radio was the primary advertising conduit, though a growing number of teen and fan magazines began to fill the void.
Page 1 2 3 4 5
Page 1 2 3 4 5
Television, the new media giant that was a plaything in the 1930s and introduced to the public in the 1940s, had become in the '50s an all-consuming monolith absorbing the attention of every man, woman and child across the country. In just five years, the sale of TV sets climbed from 3.1 million in 1950 to more than 32 million by mid-decade. Game shows, cartoons, variety shows, Westerns, cop shows and an endless variety of sit-at-home entertainment entranced American viewers night after night. Technological advances rapidly increased the size of TV sets and advertisers prompted consumers to go for the 21-inch set that was the price of the 17-inch set. Ads for Crosley televisions emphasized family viewing with "full room vision." Within a few years, this trend was reversed and sets were being downsized for portability. "The personal TV for take it with you use" was how GE advertised the new portable. By 1959, Americans were staring at the "boob tube" for an average of six hours a day, seven days a week. Its across-the-board appeal would directly compete with and disable the motion picture industry. Eventually it also would erode the world of print, signaling the slow decline of American magazine advertising.
Music in the early 1950's was affected by the changing tastes of the post-war period. The slow elimination of the Big Band sound which had dominated the music world for almost two decades was replaced in the charts by a range of tunes that were a mixture of sweet vocals, ballads, a bit of hillbilly/country and mood music. Liberace, dressed in a tuxedo while playing at his candlelit grand piano, exemplified this musical malaise. Making up to a million dollars a year, he catered to these sappy tastes. Just as popular was Mitch Miller, and his Sing Along with Mitch albums which sold 1.75 million records in fifteen months. With the jukebox fading and replaced by the potent combination of TV, the portable record player and the compact 45-rpm record, the music scene was ripe for a change. By far the defining moment in this musical hodgepodge was the eruption of rock and roll in the mid 1950s. Led by black artists who defined the roots of rock, it was Elvis Presley who captured the attention of the huge teenage population and changed the direction of American music for generations to come. His first three singles sold over a million copies and he had amassed 120 million in record and merchandising sales by 1960. Elvis as a phenomenon was quickly followed by other teenage idols. Their popularity was boosted by TV programs such as Dick Clark's American Bandstand, the top rated teenage program that could make or break a rising star. The world of rock and roll was largely ignored by print advertisers in mass market magazines. Radio was the primary advertising conduit, though a growing number of teen and fan magazines began to fill the void.
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