Advertising and American Core Values

The American Declaration of Independence begins with the statement that all men are created equal and that the purpose of government is to secure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In 1956, General Electric advertising framed our nation's ideals in an economic context.

The advertising copy is particularly relevant on Labor Day.

"We in America believe in high wages, high productivity and high purchasing power. They must occur together. One without the other defeats its own ends, but together they spell dynamic growth and progress."

These words support the General Electric corporate slogan of that era, "Progress is Our Most Important Product."

In 1956, General Electric clearly understood, as did Henry Ford a generation earlier, that workers and consumers are the same people, and as such they are the leading force of the nation.

Here is yet another example of the power of advertising to reveal who we are and what we can be.

  Copyright © 2013 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.