The monograph before you brings case studies of advertising as an economic-cultural practice and a visual symbol, case studies of mass media communication from the late 19th century to the present day, when we are witnessing the violent expansion of advertising. With the expansion of the market, anonymity between producers and consumers, between traders and buyers, grew, and in this historical constellation, the brand and advertising came to the fore and represented a communicative bridge to consumers. Media or communication possibilities were greatly strengthened with the outbreak of modernity and also revolutionized advertising.
The monograph is divided into four sections. The first deals with anti-advertising in the time of the guilds, the pre-modern world of locally limited supply and demand without advertising, and then the transition to a supra-regional market liberal economy, to the emergence of a consumer society and its engine – advertising. The second section deals with historically conditioned advertising and nationalism, and advertising in relation to different political orientations. The third, most extensive section deals with “outdoor and indoor advertising”, advertising of fashion products, and the media discourse on obesity and thinness between the world wars. A special feature is the analysis of cosmetics advertising during the crisis of scarcity during World War II, and a very interesting discussion of car advertising during socialism. The two anthropological discussions of the fourth section touch on the latest era of the society of abundance and include the most modern forms of advertising on the Internet, analyzing their hidden messages and taboos. We hope that the published case studies will at least partially fill the blank space in Slovenian historiography and encourage future, more in-depth and comprehensive studies on advertising in the past. (Buča)