Rise of Consumer Products (College Board AP® US History): Study Guide

Summary

The 1920s marked a period of rapid growth in consumer products, driven by innovations in production, advertising, and entertainment. Following World War I, the United States focused on the mass production of consumer products that improved many areas of American lives. The most significant development in this era was the assembly line, which revolutionized the way goods were produced.

Alongside mass production, advertising played a crucial role in shaping consumer culture. As products became more affordable, companies used advertising to influence public demand, using newspapers, magazines, and radio to reach broader audiences. 

Cinema and radio became key sources of entertainment and also influenced cultural trends.

The Assembly Line

• The assembly line was introduced by Henry Ford in 1913 at his Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit

• It was a method of manufacturing that used interchangeable parts and a continuous moving belt, allowing workers to specialize in one repetitive task

  • Rather than producing an entire product from start to finish

• The repetition of work saw skilled workers replaced by unskilled workers

  • This made it easier and faster to train employees

• This standardization lowered the overall cost of production

  • Making consumer goods more affordable for a wider population

• Scientific Management

  • The assembly line was inspired by the ideas of Fredrick Taylor, who promoted scientific management theory

  • The approach focused on optimizing work processes to increase productivity and profits 

    • Precise time studies and methods are used to improve efficiency

• The lower production costs due to the assembly line allowed products, such as cars, to be sold at much cheaper prices

  • This made them accessible to the average American

• Over 8 million automobiles were sold in the United States in the 1920s

• By the mid-1920s, the price of automobiles had dropped to around $250, making car ownership possible for many middle-class families

• Automobile ownership allowed people to move out of the urban centers 

  • This led to the growth of suburbs with the rich and middle-class moving to those areas

  • New roads and highways allowed for greater use of cars both in cities and in rural areas

    • This also connected cities to rural areas, enabling easier travel for both people and goods

• Assembly line production expanded to other consumer goods industries, such as radios and home appliances

• Mass production contributed to the rise of consumerism in the 1920s

Advertising, Radio, & Movies/Cinema in the 1920s

• The 1920s marked a period of rapid growth in consumerism and mass entertainment

  • This was driven by new technologies and innovative marketing techniques

• Advertising, radio, and movies all played significant roles in shaping American culture and promoting products to a wider audience

Advertising

• As consumer products became more affordable, advertisers looked to influence public demand and encourage people to buy

• Advertising became a key tool for producers to sell goods and build brand loyalty

• With mass production lowering prices, advertising helped create a consumer culture where people could afford to purchase products

• Psychological appeal

  • Advertisers began to use human psychology to target consumer emotions and desires

    • Advertisers would create emotional connections, appealing to consumers’ desires for status and happiness

    • Advertisers would suggest that “everyone” was buying a product and encourage consumers not to miss out

  • Adverts were designed to create a sense of need or aspiration to influence buying decisions 

• Advertisers used mass media to sell products nationwide, such as:

  • newspapers

  • magazines

  • radio

• Mass media allowed companies to sell products not just locally, but across the entire country

• Advertisers used branding and slogans to make their products easily recognizable 

• The use of celebrity endorsements became a powerful advertising tool

  • Famous figures were used to promote items from cars to household products

Radio in the 1920s

• The radio revolutionized how people accessed entertainment and information

• The first radio was sold in 1920

  • By the end of the 1920s, more than 10 million radios were in US homes and businesses 

• By 1929, over 600 radio stations were broadcasting in the United States 

  • These stations aired a mix of news, entertainment, and advertising

• Radio became a source of entertainment for families

  • Radio offered vaudeville shows, theater performances, and serial dramas

  • It provided an affordable way for people to experience live performances and music from their own homes

• Radio helped shape a shared national culture as people across the country listened to the same broadcasts

Movies/Cinema in the 1920s

• Silent films had been around since the 1900s but became very popular in the 1920s 

• Major Hollywood studios emerged, creating a new entertainment industry that attracted an audience of millions

• In 1927, The Jazz Singer became the first talking movie (also known as a “talkie”), revolutionizing the industry

  • The ability to align sound and dialogue with action on screen created a new form of storytelling and increased movie popularity

• The price of film tickets became affordable for most Americans

  • Making cinema accessible to people across social classes

• By 1929, 50 million people went to the movies every week

  • Showing the massive cultural impact of cinema

• Films had a cultural impact

  • Movies helped spread national and regional cultural norms and ideas

  • Films reflected the values, attitudes, and aspirations of the time

  • Films influenced trends in fashions, music, and social behavior

  • Films served as a form of escapism during the economic prosperity of the 1920s