Ballyhoo Magazine, Parody, and the Visual Rhetoric of Early 20th Century Advertising Critique

• In Event: Selling in America: Advertising, Campaigns, Recruitment, and Product Placement

Abstract

This essay examines Ballyhoo magazine as a form of advertising critique in the 1930s. Through an examination of three salient categories of mock advertisements, I argue that the parodies of advertisements contribute to the visual rhetoric of advertising critique at a pivotal time in the rise of consumer culture. Along with other systemic modes of critique, Ballyhoo represents a popular and critical response to an emerging cultural phenomenon. The presentation will include accompanying images.

Author

• Troy Cooper, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign