Abstract

A Content Analysis of Newspaper Advertising(1886~1949): In search of the early stage of the modern Korean consumption culture

Du-Won Lee, Ph. D. Associate Professor Dept. of Communications Chongju University
In-Sook Kim, Ph. D. Lecturer Dept. of Communications Chongju University

This study is a content analysis of newspaper advertising to explore the modern Korean consumption culture, i. e., the longitudinal flow of Korean consumption culture from 1986 to 1949. Consumption culture in this study refers to the ways in which the meanings of goods are produced, mediated, circulated, interpreted within production, marketing and consumption. The major premise of this research is that advertising reflect the consumption culture of the society in which the advertising is used as the social messages. Advertising in mass consumption society is, in general, a strategically organized persuasion message for consumers to "feel like to buy" a product or service. In this strategical process of an advertising production, the producers such as copywriters use the consumption values, premises, and ideologies shared by the members of the society as persuasive appeals and premises. Thus, advertising is the "mirror" of the consumption culture of the society. The result of the content analysis shows about 21 types of the products advertised including medicines, miscellaneous goods, cigarettes, wines etc. From the late 1880's to 1940's, the advertised goods gradually changes from the daily necessities to valued added products such as cosmetic, health products, and books. The analysis of the types of advertising appeals reveals that the logos(logic and reasoning) related appeals are used most widely, followed by the pathos(emotion) related appeals, and the ethos(ethics) related appeals. Also, it shows that the appeals of the low prices had been gradually changed to the emphasis of the fixed and sale prices. And, while the target audiences of the newspaper at this period was largely men, the woman products had been gradually increased in the newspaper advertising.

Key Words: Consumption culture, Consumerism, Advertising, Newspaper advertising, Advertising analysis, Appeals.