Food Studies Matter, Meaning, Movement Case Superfood Advertising, Anne F MacLennan and Irena Knezevic

CASE ADVERTISING ANNE AND IRENA ADVERTISING FOOD FOR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS TO Anne is an Associate Professor in tion and Media Studies at York University and editor of the Journal of Radio and Audio Media She is ing , Selling , and Radio in Canada , Her research focuses on radio , media history , research , women , poverty , advertising , and labour She is in Media and of Radio Audio Media , Women Studies , Radio journal , Relations Industrial Relations , Urban History Review , and edited collections . 404 ADVERTISING

Irena is an Associate Professor in the School of and Communication at University , and the director of the Food and Media Hub . She is a of Nourishing Communities From Fractured Food to Transformative Pathways and has published in of Communication , Canadian Food Studies , Food , Culture and Society , of ture , Food Systems , and Community Development . Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Identify some advertising strategies used to promote food products . Describe historical precursors of advertising . Articulate links between food , health , and advertising . INTRODUCTION Many cultures have versions of the sayings , you are what you eat , a hungry person is an angry person , and let food be thy Food , health , and are inextricably linked , and advertising has long capitalized on Promotional . Due to the parallel development of print technologies and expansion of trade in the century , the earliest food ads featured imported spices and other goods , and livestock auctions were frequently moted in print as early as the 16005 . The imported goods were sometimes unfamiliar to the readers , and the ads had to convince the readers of the ANNE AND IRENA 405

sages that describe food products as linked to diets , low in ingredients like added sugars , or high in desirable ones like fiber , always imply that such products improve health . While those qualities can be beneficial to human health , their impact is sometimes exaggerated as a magical solution to the pursuit of health and . In much of the world , the average person is exposed to thousands of advertisements every day . People receive information from advertising , alongside nutritional advice from news media , social media feeds , science reporting , and public health messaging . Competing interests , evolving nutritional science , and cultural trends shape the abundance and the complexity of available food information . That information is now made widely accessible with new media technologies , which have also enabled just recognized offer opinions and to tell consumers how to choose their food . than making us more knowledgeable about us sifting through conflicting and confusing sages looking for shortcuts to wise food choices . We want simple , magical solutions to health and . This desire is by promotional messages that highlight individual responsibility for personal health . Health and nutrition are often portrayed as individual choices , encouraging those practices that are deemed healthy as moral imperatives . Even for people who have little economic , mobility , geographical or other view imposes a cultural norm of individual responsibility for managing diet and appearing healthy . Food products that promise to aid in dietary management benefit from this cultural norm . fits of such foods , so even early food ads suggested these foods would support health , strength , and . 406 ADVERTISING

THE EXAMPLE In 1871 , butcher and amateur food scientist john acquired the contract to supply canned meat to Paris after the War . Commercial production of his extract paste commenced in Montreal in The product was soon available widely and continues be sold to this day . The international promotion of in the early twentieth offers a fascinating glimpse into the historical trajectory of food advertising that promises health , strength , and advertising evolved , but the core message has remained food product offers an easy , convenient path to through consumption . We have been collecting and analysing advertisements for more than a decade . The products long has generated hundreds of advertisements many from the early century are widely available in physical and digital archives . A more focused sample from 1930 to 1940 was collected from major Canadian where a keyword for a sample of unique 288 advertisements . The decade of the Great Depression was a time of War I recovery and unstable global politics that would eventually lead to World War II . It was also a decade of food that made a meat like more significant . Moreover , the early are considered the golden age of advertising , when tion and printing technologies speedily evolved , and allowed for production and expansion of markets outside of manufacturers local communities . However , Great British Brands . Winnipeg Tribune , Montreal Gazette , Vancouver Province , Windsor Star , gary Herald , Saskatoon , Victoria Times Colonist , zen , and Mail . ANNE AND IRENA 407

by the in North America , print media suddenly had to compete with radio for advertising revenue , and in response , print ads became increasingly catchy , intricate , and colourful . The archives from the decades that followed offer an abundance of diverse and clever print ads . HEALTH AND STRENGTH A close reading of the advertisements revealed that science , and health figured heavily in the campaigns . In the , Yes , Doctor is just what he needed ( Figure ) a nurse is on the telephone . sits outside of the frame of her photograph , connecting it to the nurse and her report to the doctor . The advertisements claim that Gives Strength Quickly is expanded , indicating its unique power of enabling to get more nourishment from other Human Document campaign offered testimonials ing how improved customers health . helped me save my Boy ( Figure ) chronicled a Montreal mother story about her worries after her sons surgery , proclaiming I would shout to everyone try , when everything else fails , won The campaign , with its numbered document entries , implied evidence of success . This was at a time when scientific innovations , acceptance of germs , and the ability of people to their own health through practices like exercise , diet , laws , and initiatives other than prayer became important . Montreal , Canada largest city in the , was second only to Mumbai in tuberculous infections in the 19205 and Public health campaigns of the time worked to change traditional practices of sanitation and . Yes , Doctor is just what he 1933 . helped me save my 1937 . 1974 1984 1979 1983 . 408 ADVERTISING

In Canada , 1926 to 1930 infant mortality rates averaged 93 per 1000 live births , 75 from 1931 to 1935 , and 64 from 1936 to 1940 , making the health of surviving children a pressing , a prepackaged , cereal for dren developed by Hospital for Sick Children , is an example of a dietary innovation used to strengthen the body during an era when other remedies failed to safeguard children against polio , Scarlett fever , tuberculosis , measles , rickets , and other diseases . WHY CHILDREN NEED Children children need ' Figure . helped me save my Children ' need oy Echoing the Figure concerns about childhood health , the campaign ' Why Children Need ( Figures and ) featured toddlers and older children . It promoted building powers and encouraged parents to mix into milk and add it to their children daily The promotion of the characteristics of the product extended to adults emphasizing remarkable experiments upon human subjects and the astonishing power of proved by . et al . 2009 Adams et al . Statistics Canada . Why Children Need . 1935 . Why Children Need 1931 . ANNE AND IRENA 409

10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . famous 10 The appeal to scientific research and medical authority in text was paralleled by visuals . Realize the difference made by one spoonful of ( Figure ) rated an image of being poured into a spoon like While no medical claims were made in the advertisement , the daily use of was promoted . It must be ( Figure ) became the catchphrase of a campaign , reportedly ing Sir Ernest preparing for his Antarctic Expedition . was described as essential for homes and attended by doctors and The association with strength and health extended well into the with testimonial from mountaineers and elite Health remained a constant element in the campaigns . While the imagery and text changed to the sensibilities of each decade , repeatedly featured notions of health , medicine , and ence , over several decades . stands alone . 1920 . Realize the difference made by one spoonful of . 1931 . When Illness Threatens . 1930 . British television advertisement featuring Chris , who climbed Mount Everest . British television advertisement featuring Wendy Brook , fastest mer to cross the English Channel . watch ?

410 ADVERTISING . I . mum mu . Hunt mu . a , Figure One spoonful of Figure It must be MAGIC AND TRANSFORMATION Magical , physical , and mental transformation was always a strong component of Canadian portrayed as a comforting , hot drink , especially in the winter . The power of beef in the formula was credited with great feats of strength , such as the man in office attire holding an elephant above his head ( Figure ) Advertising the power and stimulating taste of was crucial in a period when lar access to protein through meat was precarious . Concentrated beef was a key selling point in the advertisements , and the bull , a symbol of strength and authority ( Figure ) was a reminder of 15 . Williams 1960 . 16 . They Must Have Been Giving Him . 1940 . ANNE AND IRENA 411

17 . 18 . 19 . this ingredient and what it promised to Avoiding the chills and ills of winter were routinely part of the advertising , whether it featured a sick or injured person , or outside ings . Further , meat was expensive and at the same time ered a necessity for nourishment and , mu ham . Inn on nu Io Figure Enjoy the strength of ) Figure They must have been giving him ' In the advertisement Keep warmer with Hot ( ure ) the association with the heroic continued , with two men rescuing another man , who had fallen through ice , by offering him a hot cup of rather than pulling him from the icy The magical qualities were reinforced with the image of a large cut of prime beef hovering over the tiny bottle of to show all the concentrated savoury goodness of the best there is in Prime Beef ( Figure 10 ) packed into the small . Enjoy the stimulating taste of nourishing concentrated 1938 . 2014 . Keep Warmer with Hot . 1930 . Prime Beef is tempting , tasty , and nourishing . 1938 . 412 ADVERTISING

21 . Keep warmer with Hot . Figure Keep warmer with Hot Figure 10 is Tempting , Tasty , and Nourishing . Jackson , a cultural historian , argues that ushered neurasthenia , a type of depression associated with changes wrought by the modern working captured that concern for mental health and in its Prevents that Sinking Feeling , and in advertisements such as . men and women are not machines Every Body Needs the Strength of ( ure 11 ) advertisements illustrated the constant work , including women unending work ( Figure 12 ) and the euphemistic visualization of sinking represented by a man ing to a buoy at sea . Along with advertisements demonstrating 1981 . Men and Women are Not Machines 1940 . Why vents that Sinking Feeling . 1931 . A woman Work is never done . 1933 . ANNE AND IRENA 413

physical strength to ward off physical illness , these showed how could make life brighter , as a cure and remedy , but also as a daily treat . It was promoted as an ingredient in soups and stews , mixed with milk , or as a sandwich spread ( Figure 13 ) Health , and were linked as a daily routine . SANDWICHES A um mo us nor , Figure 12 A woman work isA NEEDS menus or CONCLUSION Advertising equates the purchase of food , with a sense and overall good are not machines health . Recent promotions of are examples of promotions that echo the tone of early advertising . In recent years , many foods like acai berries products , green tea , and fermented milk , like kefir and yogurt , have been touted as that can instantly improve health and extend lifespan . In 2021 , owned by in japan , launched a campaign to promote its apple cider vinegar in the market . It cast three stylish from Tokyo to convey vitality and The 23 . Tempting and Tasty Sandwiches are so delightfully different . 1932 . 24 . 2021 . 414 ADVERTISING

nal quest for health and happiness continues to feature in advertising . Social theorists have long identified the link between dietetic management and capitalism . Bryan proposed that dietetic management of ones body stemmed from two key of capitalism ( a ) the of Western science and medicine , and ( the need for functioning , labouring bodies to participate in industrial commodity production . Mike expanded on this to include another tenet of . The emphasis on individual freedoms and responsibilities has made body maintenance both an responsibility and a requirement for economic participation . Together , these values have rendered dietetic management a lar of being a good citizen . The resulting cultural pressure on individuals to pursue good diets makes promises of easy solutions to healthy eating appealing . longevity on the market suggests that their messaging has resonated with consumers , serving as a example of successful food advertising . Contemporary advertising for various is but a of promotional messaging that offers shortcuts to dietetic management . advertisements may seem laughable now , but a closer reading reveals that they were also trailblazing . Discussion Questions 25 . Turner 1982 . 26 . 1982 . ANNE AND IRENA 415

How do current advertising campaigns convince consumers that their foods make them healthy and happy ?

What advertising messages have prompted you to buy a food product to improve your health ?

What do historical examples of food advertising tell us about the evolving understandings of health and nutrition ?

Additional Resources Readers can find numerous print and television ads with a simple internet search . even has its own Wikipedia page ! Product information about is available on the website . john papers are held by the City of Edinburgh Council Archives . References Adams , and Theodore . 2008 . Collapse and Expand Architecture and Tuberculosis Therapy in , 1909 , 1933 , Technology and Culture 49 ( helped me save my Advertisement . The Sun . November 19 , 1937 , 416 ADVERTISING

. stands alone Advertisement . Vancouver Daily World . October 16 . Enjoy the stimulating taste of nourishing beef Advertisement . The Vancouver Province . December 14 , 32 . Keep warmer with Hot Advertisement . The Citizen . December , 17 . Men and Women are Not Machines Advertisement . The Citizen . February , Prime Beef is tempting , tasty , and . Regina . 16 . Realize the difference made by one spoonful of Advertisement . The Regina . November , Tempting and Tasty Sandwiches are so fully Advertisement . The Vancouver Province . August , They Must Have Been Giving Him ment . The Citizen . November 13 , When Illness Advertisement . The Montreal Gazette . November , 1930 , 11 . Why Prevents that Sinking ment . The Montreal Gazette . February , 1931 , 11 . Why Children Need Advertisement . The ver Province . September 25 , Children Need Advertisement . journal . October , ANNE AND IRENA 417

. A woman work is never done . Advertisement . ber , 1933 . The Vancouver Sun . 11 . Yes , doctor is just what he ment . The Globe . January 17 , 10 . 1974 . The Anatomy of Poverty The Condition of the ing Class in Montreal . Stewart . 1982 . The Body in Consumer Theory , Culture Society ( Great British Brands Created for the French army and used by Scott and , has a rich past and retains consumer Advertising . August , 2002 ) 11 . 1981 . No Place of Grace and the formation American Culture . New York Pantheon Books . 1984 . Charity and Change The Montreal Council of Social Agencies Attempts to Deal with the Master thesis , University . 1979 . The Campaign Against Tuberculosis in Canada Master thesis , University . 2009 . Tuberculosis in Town Mobility of Patients in Montreal , history 42 ( 83 ) 2014 . Making Muscular Machines with Nitrogenous Nutrition , and Cocoa , in Food Material Culture Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery ed . Mark . Devon Prospect Books . 418 ADVERTISING

, 1983 . Les Maladies de Aspects de la a Revue de 36 . Turner , 1982 . The Discourse of Theory , Culture Society ( 1960 . The Magic New Left Review . ANNE AND IRENA 419