".so much of this consumer "education" should be conducted by advertising professionals was partially a result of the industry's engagement with the First World War effort" (Davis 23). Americans were tired of working toward the war effort and wanted a way to unwind. Magazines in general circulation soon dropped themes of reform, which many Americans were bored of and advertisers objected to the investigative articles which negatively commented on advertisers and their kind. Consumerism became a hot topic. "Ladies' Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post, featuring Norman Rockwell's paintings on its cover, became fixtures in middle-class homes around the country". (EyeWitnesstoHistory.com) .
Like a listening bug to a spy, having magazines become part of people's homes meant that advertisers had a direct link to their consumers, stay-at-home mothers would flip through the pages coated with advertisements for the latest innovations. That's all they ever needed. Radio advertisements really caught people's attention. Just like magazines entering the home, Radios found a place into the American household, much like a television and a refrigerator in today's world. Advertisements over the radio was something no one had experienced before. New and exciting technology grasped people attention. This was a dream come true for advertisers. What more than to have people in a craze over a new invention like the radio and then the first thing that is heard is the agency's own ad? It enticed listeners to buy their product. Shocking headlines, scandals, crime stories, and large font. Tabloid newspapers hit the shelves right after the war. Large circulation was achieved by covering interesting topics such as crime stories, scandals, and sports. Readership was in the millions. Movie stars and sports figures helped to persuade Americans into buying all kinds of products, from clothes to cigarettes.
