The City That Sold America

The City That Sold America is a documentary film that explores the role of advertising in shaping American culture, particularly in urban areas. The film features interviews with advertising pioneers like Tom Burrell, who founded the first black-owned advertising agency in the United States, and Bruce DuMont, a prominent radio and television host, as well as historians and scholars who provide context for the evolution of advertising in the 20th century.

The film opens with a brief history of advertising in America, tracing its roots from the earliest newspaper ads to the advent of radio and television. It quickly becomes clear that advertising has played a crucial role in shaping not just consumer behavior, but also cultural norms and values. As cities grew and became centers of commerce and industry, advertising became more sophisticated and targeted, using images of the urban landscape and messages of progress and modernity to sell products to urban consumers.

One of the central themes of the film is the role of race in advertising. As African Americans migrated from the rural South to cities in the North and West during the first half of the 20th century, they became both consumers and targets of advertising. However, most mainstream advertising ignored or actively excluded black consumers, perpetuating negative stereotypes and erasing black culture from the public sphere. Tom Burrell's work with his agency, Burrell Communications, aimed to change this by creating advertising that spoke directly to black consumers and celebrated black culture. His campaigns for brands like McDonald's and Coca-Cola were groundbreaking in their approach, and helped pave the way for more diverse representation in advertising today.

The film also explores the gendered nature of advertising, particularly in relation to beauty and body image. Advertising has long promoted an idealized version of femininity, using images of slender, white women to sell everything from soap to cars. Myiti Sengstacke Rice, a scholar and journalist, provides insightful commentary on this issue, noting that the beauty industry has historically excluded women of color and perpetuated harmful beauty standards. The film also highlights the role of feminist activists in challenging these norms and demanding greater diversity and representation in advertising.

Throughout the film, we see examples of iconic ads and campaigns that have become part of the cultural fabric of America. From "Got Milk?" to "I Love New York," these slogans and images have helped define our collective identity and shape our perceptions of the world around us. The film also touches on the ways in which advertising has adapted to new media, from the rise of the internet to the explosion of social media. While the delivery mechanisms may have changed, the messages and strategies of advertising remain fundamentally the same: to convince us to buy or believe something that we may not have otherwise.

In conclusion, The City That Sold America is a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the history and impact of advertising in America. By highlighting the contributions of pioneers like Tom Burrell and Bruce DuMont, as well as the challenges and critiques of the industry, the film offers a comprehensive view of this influential aspect of our society. Whether you are a marketer, a scholar, or simply a consumer, this film is sure to prompt deep reflection on the role of advertising in our lives.