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Advertising in 1960

In terms of dollar volume, advertising set new high records in 1960.

A total of $11,931,700,000 was spent on advertising in the United States in 1960, broken down by category as follows:

Newspapers $3,702,800,000
Miscellaneous $2,337,800,000
Direct Mail $1,830,200,000
Television $1,605,000,000
Magazines $940,800,000
Radio $668,000,000
Business Papers $609,300,000
Outdoor $203,300,000
Farm Publications $34,500,000

With advertising revenues at an all-time high, how those revenues were used came under increasing scrutiny in 1960. The Federal Trade Commission issued a flurry of cease and desist orders against television demonstrations by advertisers, declaring that many commercials went beyond permissible limits of truth and fact in attempting to demonstrate the superior characteristics of their products. Advertising industry associations responded by issuing voluntary codes of ethics, and by hiring their own public relations agencies to help them change their public image.

"This latest survey indicates that our advertising is attracting a lot of attention ... most of it from the Government! ..."
(1960 cartoon by Lichty of the Chicago Sun-Times syndicate)

SEE ALSO
In the Year 1960

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This page was last updated on September 26, 2017.