TRADITION IN TRANSITION			FEBRUARY 1963
TIMELINE	FILM	TV	MUSIC	ADS

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Attempting to hold on to the "perfect world", flaws in that iconic American life slowly began to unravel. By February 1963, and for the year in general, the very beginnings of a slow-paced transitional social period took root. Struggling to maintain harmony, at home and abroad, the country in February 1963 found itself in the midst of a heightening Cold War, a burgeoning feminist movement, and a drastic civil rights movement. Furthermore, the children of the Baby boom were growing up on the cusp of a radical counterculture movement. Yet, American society was not quite countercultural, not quite anti-war, not quite feminist… not quite sure of themselves. Such is evidenced in the advertising of this time, which purported the consumerist ideal of "buying into the better life." In doing so, these ads reinforced the hegemonic status quo of the 1950s of what life should be, how to acquire it, and how to maintain it. Grappling with the emerging social change of February 1963, the Ad Industry alluded to the differences the future would bring while simultaneously trying not to reveal the magnitude of these inevitable changes. Consider the juxtaposition of women blazing in their Maidenforms alongside the image of the perfect date of Pepsi and bowling. Ads about the perfect family sat next to ads about the stresses of being a housewife. As U.S. Savings Bonds promised to save your children from Communism, station wagons claimed to be winning the space race. Just what was America buying into?
The Perfect Family
Don't get sucked into communism, don't be suspicious, and don't be different, put yourself into the cookie-cutter mold of the middle-class white suburban American Family. 1963 was still a year in which Americans were still under the influence of the post-war conformity mindset. Within achieving the standards of conformity, one would have the ability to achieve normality. Through maintaining normality, arose the image of perfection. This was especially true when it came to matters of the family and of the home. Who's life wouldn't be perfect with a mother, a father and a couple of young children? Apparently the nuclear family is the way to perfection in 1963. It's not just any nuclear family however, its a housewife, a working husband and small well-behaved children. February 1963 became one of the times where changes that would inevitably shift and uproot the traditional family structure forever were at its very beginnings. America desperately held on to this idealized kinship network as showcased by the ads throughout this period that continually boasted the emerging mirage of the perfect American family.
"Got a good man? Get him good coffee" "Got a good man? Keep him happy," all with "Husband Pleasing Coffee." The look of joy and delightment on her face would truly indicate the happiness she obtains by being the good housewife and keeping the head of the family happy. There was nothing about how she might appreciate the cup of coffee for herself, independent from her husband. This was her position, her one and only role within the family of keeping everyone well fed, clean and happy.
In the electric dryer ad two housewives, not only surround their daily lives with housework and family, but they hold conversation and share coffee seated in front of the new dryer. One can assume that this new dryer is not sitting in the middle of the living room. The ad infers that in front of this dryer is where, as housewives, they find comfort and relaxation as she watches her perfectly behaved daughter fold the laundry. The actual dialogue of their conversation is placed at the bottom of this ad to further reinforce the reading of this dryer praising session. The woman on the left, provided as "Mrs. J. Melvin Wilkie, Jr., of Creve Coeur, Missouri," also the more excited of the two, provides the conversation about the "The nicest thing about a flameless electric dryer." It is of course not important that her identity is revealed, but it makes her real and makes her conversation real. Yet, within this shifting time of social change there must have been something more socially relevant to hold conversation about.
	The Frigidaire family refrigerator ad hints at a possible problem, but very remotely. "What else do they turn to so often… except mother?" On the right side of this ad are the three younger children clinging onto and hiding behind their mother. She is protecting them from something, of course the ad makes no further reference to this, but one would assume it has little or nothing to do with the Frigidaire family refrigerator. While this ad may possibly refer to something larger than purchasing this kitchen appliance, it maintains its selling point as the family Frigidaire as an American tradition.
	The last advertisement offers "five years' piece of mind" all "included in the original price." This too signifies something slightly deeper than the purchase of a Kelvinator washing machine. The offer of five years' piece of mind to this housewife could foreshadow any one of the major social changes looming in the near future. Throughout whatever may come however, this washer symbolizing the home, will bring you all the peace you will need.
Be happy with your family. If not, find happiness through making the family happy. In this manner, the home becomes the shelter to change. Buy into normality and perfection, buy a new washer and dryer, and if you're not sure ask your white middle class suburban neighbor.
The Housewife?
The housewife remained the iconic image of womanhood throughout the 1950s and into the 1960's. By February of 1963, right at the brink of the feminist movement, ads begin hinting the underlying growing discontent and social issue of the rise of feminism, while for the most part maintaining the housewife image. The different stages of the early of feminist movement are represented in the following ads, some more explicitly than others.
	On behalf of Supp-hose pantyhose, this young girl states, "Mother never told me there'd be Supp-hose like this. Mother never knew." Drastic changes in terms of what mother never experienced displaced Mother as the locus of all knowledge. This feeling that something was changing is an important step to the realization that things would no longer be the same, though what the change would entail remained dubious.
	This advertisement for Bufferin really highlights the troubles and unhappiness of the perfect housewife. The image of a woman's hands outlines textual content: stress within the married family life. With engagement ring and wedding band prominent on the right hand, the text reads, "A woman's work is never done. She is never able to relax completely from her responsibilities to her home and family… When you're in the throes of such tension… Whenever you have one of those bad days and feel tension building up, remember Bufferin" Here the stress caused by the daily life of a housewife is fully acknowledged and outlined. Unfortunately, the solution contains the discontent within the home by quieting domestic tensions and stresses with Bufferin. If there are problems in the home, if you are an unhappy housewife, take a Bufferin. Although this advertisement does a nice job of discounting the always perfect and happy life of the housewife, it also does a good job of ensuring this discontent is easily fixed and quickly masked by their product.
	"I dreamed I went to blazes in my Maidenform Bra." Certainly this is one of the more "racy" ads of February 1963, for seldom would one see a woman so scantily clad, much less in only her bra and tiny red shorts. This advertisement addresses feminism on a couple of different levels. Her feeling of independence and freedom is made obvious in her dress and composure. With arms out reaching upwards, she is proud of her figure, of her dress, and, most importantly, of herself. As such, the statement of her dreaming of going to blazes in her Maidenform bra can be read in two ways. Going to blazes in her bra can signify her freedom to be and to wear what she wishes. Conversely, it can signify her losing a struggle as this freedom and independence she wishes to have comes at a cost, though her smile would indicate she would be happy just trying. Likewise, the use of "dreaming" in the statement can be read in different ways. On one hand, the dreaming could be foreshadowing future liberation, dreaming that one day she will have the chance to go to blazes. Yet, dreaming also works to discredit her displayed freedom, no longer made a reality. This polysemic text is just an indication that the ideas and beliefs surrounding feminism had not yet fully solidified.
The Maytag washer ad also acknowledges the emerging feminist movement. This ad is about "The 'bachelor' father and his steady Maytag… all by himself… working a full time job." The washing machine and chore of washing is finally connected with someone other than the housewife, other than a woman. For what reason Mr. Stude is by himself caring for his sons and their laundry is not mentioned in the ad, leaving one to their assumptions. Notice his sour demeanor as he follows through with the chore of doing the laundry. Unlike the smiling and perfect housewife, Mr. Stude appears grumpy and disorganized. Furthermore, the task of doing laundry is not depicted as a pleasure but rather a chore. Although this ad does not directly address feminist issues, it does lead to the dismantling of the perfect family with the happy housewife figure.
Disregarding the image of the traditional housewife and replacing them with a variety of different meanings and messages about what it meant to be a woman, a wife, or a mother, though subtle, helped to establish the feminist movement in February of 1963.
Growing Up
Not included in the "ad portraits" of the traditional American family in February 1963 were teens and youth. Rather than to make the statement they no longer associated with the values and traditions of the family, soon to become an undeniable fact, omitting them was indicative of how they had become their own demographic, quickly becoming the most desired market group of the ad industry. 1963 was a unique time to be young. They were on the brink of breaking free from tradition, family, and expectation, a disconnect which would disassociate youth culture with connotations of purity and innocence. With the beginning of Beatle Mania and the release of their songs "Walk Right In" and "Please Please Me," February 1963 marked the beginnings of a youthful takeover.
	Advertisements did not depict teens as wild and unruly, but wholesome and good. The only difference between this depiction in 1963 and 1953 is that teens are being targeted as an isolated audience. Though set outside the context of the family, they remain within the framework of traditional family values. Although there are an abundance of "youth" advertisements, almost all of them sell soda pop. Furthermore, they only feature teens engaging in innocent fun, such as making a meal or bowling. As nearly every ad couples each teen with a member of the opposite sex, these ads uphold "good" family values of marriage, monogamy, and family. For every girl there is a boy. Casual dating and freedom to break conventional codes of social interaction are not presented as options. Discourse of the emerging radical youth movement had no voice in this idealized material world.
	The Tampax ad with the image of a young girl, coupled with the statement "My family thinks of me like THIS!" exemplifies how ads hinted at the social change beginning to take place. Sitting atop a stack of books, she is casually and neatly dressed like a "good girl" should be. Obviously, this is the image her parents have of her. Clearly, "parental" society still conceives of their children this way. But notice how the pencil in her mouth suggests a sort of mischief about her, a dual message that a change is indeed taking place. However, because the youth movement is not yet realized into a counterculture, there is not much of a change to address.
Living the Life
Drinking, smoking, and being "free": all favored American pastimes in February 1963. Where would one do all these things? Nowhere else but the frontier, translated as the great outdoors and, of course, Vegas. These types of ads were not necessarily the opponents of conformity and the perfect family, but more a slight adaptation to the shifting times. Notice the absence of families or children in these ads, which in some manner is depicted as the ultimate freedom. The audience of these ads is not the youth, nor is it the prototypical family of two parents and four children. Rather, it would seem this audience is a middle-aged demographic that did not buy into the whole conformity ideal. Although these ads do not carry the overt message of conformity, they do signify something similar. With all the growing anxieties of communism of civil rights issues, they disseminate messages to enjoy life because everything is still great and to feel free to do what you please. Just relax and kick up your feet.
	Before they were deemed hazardous to your health and well-being, habits of drinking and smoking enjoyed immense popularity throughout the early sixties. They enhanced everyday life. In the Smirnoff ad, the text at the bottom explains the dilemma of receiving a "lesser vodka for their money" not when at home but when carelessly ordering at a bar. There is no direct connection made between the value of Smirnoff and the gun-tooting cowboy perched on the counter; yet he is the ads central focus for he serves as a reference to the Old West and the Frontier. The cowboy epitomizes the free spirit. This ad, however, does reflect the nations' affinity to the Western genre popular in February of 1963. Programs such as Bonanza and Gunsmoke, and the movie How The West Was Won, topping the ratings during this month, helped to reinforce and instill the want or the need for escapism, much like this ad. Their aim is obviously to connect Smirnoff vodka with the Old West, the Cowboy, and the availability of complete freedom accepted by American society at this time.
	"What calms bumpy roads like Wide-Track? What makes for stability like Wide-Track?" An obvious reference made to the instability of the present, this ad contends, despite instability, nothing should stop you from enjoying your life as traveled in a new 1963 Tempest with Wide-Track.
	The return to nature and the open, although not as celebrated as the Western, also signified independence. Hanging on a remote bridge is where these two, notably over dressed for the woods, will "smoke with a fresh enthusiasm" and "discover the cool 'air-softened' taste of Salem." The smoke from the Salem cigarette gives them the fresh enthusiasm they necessary to face the world with all its issues, problems, and protests soon to follow.
Las Vegas as the "Great Convention Vacation." Only if viewed closely is the presence of the family observed, for the husband/father is the focal character. His family simply decorates the background, inferring that being locked into family life doesn't keep you from being free and having fun. That is if you are the patriarch. Las Vegas also elicits the glamour, glitz, and excitement absent from everyday life, family or no family. This Ninety-Eight Oldsmobile ad touches upon this same premise, as it displays a glamorous man and woman arm-in-arm in a similarly trendy location. Two very different backdrops contextualize these products of relaxation and luxury, made either simplistic or sophisticated. Whether coupled with a drink and a cigarette with nothing but nature to relax in, or all the glitz and glamour of a big city, one could easily develop the desire to trade in their pre-existing more problematic reality for these idealized lifestyles.
Selling Communism
What would advertising be if it didn't monopolize upon the anxieties plaguing their consumer? What better than to play upon the fear heavy upon everybody's mind in February of 1963? The fear of communism that is. The fear of communism fueled by a worry of a future controlled by communist leaders embedded itself in the American imagination with the beginnings of the Cold War, the Space Race, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Most of America still clung to the post-war desires of peace and normalcy when new fears of a new and different war began slowly crept in. Specifically, the rise of Russia as a superpower riddled Americans with fear that the United States, and the world, would fall under the rule of this communist regime. Fear of the iron curtain gained greater potency with America's slow start and initial failures in the Space Race.
	Advertisements selling U.S. Bonds dealt with this anxiety most directly by connecting it to parents' needs to protect their children. In this particular advertisement, they claim that, "There is not better way to help the country today, and your youngster tomorrow," than by purchasing U.S. Savings Bonds to help strengthen the American economy. Who wouldn't want to ensure the safety of their child? Purchasing a Savings Bond became a moral action as much as a patriotic gesture. These two carefully selected images illustrate just this point. One pictures the all-American little boy playing, the All-American sport of football, juxtaposed on the other that pictures Cuba pinned down by the anchor of Communism. Beyond signifying how fearful Americans were, this ad demonstrated how easy the public was manipulated into believing that Communism would ruin their and their children's lives. Another U.S. Bonds ad utilized this same technique by providing an image of Mao with the caption "He know about freedom, but he's against it. His ambition is to see your children wither under Communism." The ad for the Power Company uses communism to senselessly market their wholly unrelated product. Focused on the large image of an "elderly couple turned back into East Berlin by communist guards at the Berlin Wall," A caption further adds to this visual statement that, "The greatest threats to personal freedom may come from guns and terror outside our borders, but there's also a quiet threat from within. It is the steady expansion of federal government in business - and into our daily lives." Packed with threatening information about Communism and the overbearing reach of our own government shamelessly advertise for "Investor Owned Electric Light and Power Companies." The fear of Communism has turned into a simple but effective advertising ploy. Nevertheless, that advertisements like these had the ability to twist and use this fear in almost any context only goes to show the degree of anxiety Americans felt so much.
Featuring Jim, "World's Champion Parachutist," this Camel ad offers no further reason as to why Jim would be their focus. More than just a coincidence, however, is the uniform that he is wearing. Adorned in a white suit and thick gloves, his pointing off into the sky portrays "Jim the astronaut" rather than "Jim the parachutist." All of America was rooting for astronauts and the Space Race, thus making inevitable the fates of astronauts as a marketing ploy, seen in this Camel ad as well as this ad for the 1963 Dodge Wagon. Also implementing the popularity of the Space Race, the ad reads, "We'll take on anyone… In the Space Race." "Here you're a space man of the first order. You've got the room to take on anyone and anything." Somehow, it seems hyperbolic to connect a station wagon to a spaceship. The simple mention of Communism, the Space Race or Cuba was enough to catch an audience's attention and direct it towards some obscure product. Not a single one of these products remotely related to communism or the Space race, yet they still proved effective advertising strategies. Such an easy manipulation of the public imagination signifies the high level of anxiety felt on behalf of most Americans.