The Advertising and Marketing of Colonial Williamsburg During the Great Depression
by Luke Dunnington
Introduction and Rockefeller's Goals
The recreation of Colonial Williamsburg embraced and celebrated our
country's past like no other effort in history. The initiative of Dr.
W.A.R. Goodwin and the philanthropy of John D. Rockefeller Jr. made the
vision of restorating this entire city a reality. As a full-time
philanthropist, Rockefeller was eager to give back to society from his
inherited millions. After temporarily and unsuccessfully funding the
temperance movement, Rockefeller recognized that fueling a revival of
orthodox religion was a far greater task than was achievable with total
results. When the opportunity to rebuild the cultural and historical
landmark of Colonial Williamsburg arose, Rockefeller adopted a new
mission of civic religion. This new goal included the masses learning,
appreciating, and witnessing the achievements of God's greatness in the
past, that being the events of history (Ideology of Williamsburg Restoration).
Colonial Williamsburg's motto is "that the future may learn from the
past." In essence, this new secular form of worship exulted the
liberty, democracy, and republicanism that our nation was born out of
and stands on fervently. Carrying these principles of our founding are
the secular saints of Jefferson, Washington, and Patrick Henry. The
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's chief administrative officer,
Kenneth Chorley, stated "there has been created here a shrine which has
local, sectional, and national involvement" (#28, 172). In this new
realm, Rockefeller enabled people to reach a heightened level of
awareness and commitment to God's works through the legitimacy of his
extreme historical authenticity.
The Authority of History
Furthermore, a devotion to historical tradition provided people with a
sense of stability during a period of uncertainty. The Great Depression
was marked by a loss of all that was dependable. The stock market crash
left people, at the very least, skeptical of the nation's economic
system. Crop failures robbed the land itself of any credibility,
sending people from their homes searching for a new more predictable
future. However, a life on the road of migratory labor was anything but
the expected. An inability to properly clothe and nourish their
families added failure and fear to the heap of unpleasant
depression-time sentiments. The powerlessness of the government to
prevent this decay and social destruction resulted in a loss of
assurance in the seemingly omniscient and all-controlling Powers that
Be. However, in the wake of wholesale mistrust and insecurity, an
adherence to the past emerged as a saving grace to those with nothing
to call their own. Amidst the doubt of where tomorrow's meal would come
from or how to survive the next growing season, Americans could always
count on the dependability of history. History was one of the few
things which remained unchangeable and constant during the Depression.
Therefore it was deserving of praise and celebration. Thus, despite a
family's financial or material losses, all could rally around a common
past of colonialism, revolution, and freedom from tyranny. The employed
and jobless alike could stake the same claim to a rich historical
tradition and participate in the enjoyment of it in a spirit of
national pride and unity despite tough times. Newfound historical
appreciation could be manifested through observing the sacrament of a
pilgrimage to Colonial Williamsburg. In a sense, the restoration of
Colonial Williamsburg provided a reeducation and a rebirth of a
meritorious time gone by, during a time of stagnation, just as
classical antiquity did for the Renaissance from the Middle Ages.
Advertising and Marketing
Despite the
theories, intentions, philosophies, and purposes behind Colonial
Williamsburg, it would all be for naught if the public were not
properly informed on and convinced to make their sacred secular
pilgrimage. Therefore, the role of marketing and advertising in the
creation of a Colonial Williamsburg image became crucial for the
success of the reconstructed town. Thomas Taylor reports from his
dissertation on Colonial Williamsburg's reception, that integral to
this plan was not so much "how to generate interest in the project, but
how to convey the right impression and avoid the appearance of
commercialism" (#28, 137). The renovated town was marketed mostly to
those of the middle and upper classes who could afford to visit.
However, formal and informal advertising undoubtedly reached greater
audiences than those in focus. The minority of this advertising was
planned and paid for by the Williamsburg Restoration Foundation. Most
Americans were attracted to Colonial Williamsburg through public
relations efforts towards and individual interest and initiative of
newspapers and periodicals. The vast number of published articles on
Colonial Williamsburg sold the site as extremely authentic, a colossal
undertaking, historically significant, a beautifully inspiring place,
and by triggering the imagination.
Radio Ads
While the following
analysis will look primarily at printed journals, a brief inspection of
film and radio advertisement is warranted. The majority of radio
promotions for Colonial Williamsburg were not paid for by the
Foundation. They were, for the most part, travel promotional talks,
imaginary trips through the restored area, or ads for products used in
the restoration, like Benjamin Moore paints (#28, 159-62). Most often,
as the Foundation Archives show, there were "numerous requests from
writers and broadcasters for information on Williamsburg for inclusion
in their programs" ( #28, 166). These attempts by radio stations to
seek entertaining and informative programming resulted in the masses
hearing praise of Goodwin's master plan and of Rockefeller's
contributions. However, on the occasion of a new building opening, the
visit of a dignitary, or in the case of a 1937 address from the
Rockefeller Plaza in New York, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
specially scripted and announced radio deliveries. Not until the 1940's
was a comprehensive radio promotion attempted ( #28, 160-65).
Film
In terms of the big screen,
Chorley made repeated attempts to have the restoration captured on
film. However, the majority of these plans fell through because of
either the vast expense or poor quality of the proposed product. After
unsuccessfully dealing with Warner Brothers, a deal was struck with
Colombia Pictures in the spring of 1940 to produce a film portraying a
tourist visit to Colonial Williamsburg. With a great deal of
apprehension as to historical accuracy, "The Tree of Liberty" was
released later that fall. Not until deeper into the 1940's would film
become a more active agent in promoting the restoration ( #28 173-5).
Periodicals
With film and radio
playing a small advertising role, newspapers and magazines were the
media channels which generated the most interest in Colonial
Williamsburg. Only a small portion of these, however, were paid
advertisements. These few ads were placed in Virginia and Eastern
seaboard newspapers in an attempt to maintain hotel and restaurant
business during the off-season. Furthermore, Taylor reports that "these
advertisements were simple and informative. No attempt was made to
explain what was being restored or why. It was assumed that people were
already familiar with objectives of the restoration" ( #28, 281). From
an objective standpoint, this appears to be a careless and half-baked
attempt at selling the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Was this a
major strategic advertising faux pas on the part of the Foundation?
Were they overly confident and presumptuous as to their national status
and prominence? Actually, based on the comprehensive journalism of
numerous periodicals, which were motivated by a keen interest in
Rockefeller's pursuits, Colonial Williamsburg was thoroughly sold to
America without cost to the Foundation. Hospitable cooperation with
these journals proved to be a mutually beneficial relationship as the
Foundation provided historical information and photographic
opportunities, while the writers added their own influential touches.
While newspapers did reach the masses, very few actual advertisements
were placed in this form of print. Furthermore, magazines had a longer
life in the average home and were therefore more likely to be read
repeatedly or passed on to other readers. In addition, magazines had a
greater capacity to provide quality photographs, which solid images of
what to expect from the restoration. An inspection of these magazines
provides a better understanding of exactly how and to which groups
Colonial Williamsburg was sold. Thus, the following publications are
significant in their content and readership:
Ramifications of Restoration
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