Chronicles the creation, evolution, and manifestations of 100 significant products and symbols from 20th-century American consumer culture. In American cultural history, the 20th century could be described as the Century of the Consumer. The author has compiled 100 entries--ten per decade--that figured prominently in the rise of the consumer culture mass in the United States. This book tells the story behind the century's most popular products, slogans, and symbols. From Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound to the IBM "PC"; from Burma Shave billboards to the "Got Milk?" ad campaign; from the Morton Salt Girl to Joe Camel, the Taco Bell Chihuahua, and the Budwelser Frogs, these "biographical" entries recount how Americans were romanced by consumer culture--and how consumer culture reflected changing attitudes, priorities, and values in America. A Century of American Icons offers a unique format, with entries that provide glimpses into American popular culture of each decade in the century.
In addition to the history of advertising, economics, and the media, students will learn how perceptions of class, gender, and race were conveyed through advertising--and how those perceptions changed--between the years 1900 and 2000. Alphabetically arranged entries within each decade include bibliographic information on the product, and many vivid illustrations show the visual evolution of advertising icons and strategies throughout the century. Mary Cross offers a reference tool that serves as a cultural time capsule.