Role Of Propaganda Vs. Advertising In WWII

Propaganda v. Advertising in WWII Many different forms of media exist around the world. Each has their own specific purpose, but often times their worlds intersect. Smart phones are spoken about on television, ads for video games are shown on the side of internet browsers. But, all media does have one thing in common – it is heavily relied on by the human race as a whole. At one time, however, these different forms of media, and many other products, was not around. The advertising world persuaded and convinced people that new products were what was needed – but was this advertising or brainwashing? Often times the line is blurred. Advertising promotes goods and services, but propaganda also promotes a particular view or political cause (“Difference”). These small details open up a broader range of questions about the similarities and differences between two very similar mass media techniques seen in American, especially during WWII: advertising and propaganda. …show more content…
Many people did not want to be unknowingly brainwashed by propaganda, so advertising had to earn the trust of the people. Advertisements had to prove that they were displaying their products for sale and not brainwashing people to think and feel a certain way. Propaganda’s affect on advertising made a lasting impression on the advertising we see today. WWII propaganda convinced mass amounts of the American public to side with the government’s views of the war, and influenced the way the public thought on any war-related subject (“American Propaganda”). Propaganda promotes products or services with a specific view or political cause in mind, while advertising is simply promoting goods and services to the public