Lecture 9: Consumerism - Persuasion, Society, Brand, Culture

Sigmund Freud

1856-1939

• Psychoanalysis – method of treatment
• Constantly repressed for the sake of keeping a civilised society. We don’t do the things that we want, we do what we think is right and will keep people happy.
• The conscious mind = tip of giant iceberg
• Fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual. We must suppress our animalistic instincts to maintain a level of civilisation.

Edward Bernays

1891-1995

• Press Agent
• Employed by public information during WW1
• Post war- set up ‘The Council on Public Relations’
• Birth of PR
• Based on the ideas of Freud (his uncle).
• Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923)
• Propaganda (1928) 

Marketing hidden needs

• Sellin gego-gratification
  
• Selling Creative Outlets
  
• Selling Love Objects
  
• Selling sense of power
  
• Selling a sense of roots
  

Selling immortality 

• Consumerism is an ideological project
• We believe that through consumption our desires can be met

• The Consumer Self
• The legacy of Bernays / PR can be felt in all aspects of

C21st society

•  The conflicts between alternative models of social organisation continue to this day.
•  To what extent are our lives ‘free’ under the Western Consumerist system?