In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, propaganda techniques became more refined and effective due to the development of modern advertising which had a dramatic influence on society. J. Barratt was known as “the father of modern advertising” in London. Barratt created an effective advertising campaign for the company products while working in the “Pears Soap”, which involved the use of targeted slogans, images and phrases.
An advertising tactic that he used was to associate the Pears brand with high culture and quality. Most famously, he used the painting Bubbles by John Everett Millais as an advertisement by adding a bar of Pears soap into the foreground. Barratt continued this theme with a series of adverts of well groomed middle-class children, associating Pears with domestic comfort and aspirations of high society.
Barratt introduced many of the main concepts that are said to be the building blocks of successful advertising and these ideas were used heavily in his design community. He would stress the importance of a strong and exclusive brand image and emphasizing the product’s availability through saturation campaigns This was demonstrated in his soap ad. Unlike other designers he understood the importance of constantly considering the market for changing tastes. Stating in 1907 “that tastes change, fashions change, and the advertiser has to change with them.”
Meanwhile in Canada, in 1900, approximately three-fourths of the revenue of Toronto newspapers came from advertising. This was most likely due to the newspaper pages mostly belonging to election campaign parties.
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