Why do you think Eaton’s advertising document was written in the form of a sermon? Do you think the format enhances or diminishes the impact of the message; why?

I think that Eaton’s document was written in the form of a sermon because it allowed the reader, in the year of 1907, to understand the meaning of advertising through a different lens. People during this time period were much more religious, and were able to respect the connection Eaton makes between human nature and advertising. I believe this enhances the impact of the message because it is implied that advertising has as giant of an institution as church. Similarly to church, Eaton is preaching how to not be tempted with materialistic things and instead focus on the meaning behind our desires and how it all happened.

Explain Twitchell’s statement (284): “…myths… sacramentalize mass-produced objects…”

In this portion of Twitchell’s essay, he is describing the application of religion into secular materialistic objects by advertisers and marketers. During the Protestant Revolution, people began to break down the meaning of holiness applied by the Catholic church. Marketers then began to apply this into ideal by emphasizing how “holy” or life-saving a product could be. Twitchell’s statement is a commentary on how this shift makes consumers stronger rather than weaker. He states, “Most of us have more pleasure and less discomfort in our lives than most of the people most of the time in all of history”. The enforcement of religious meaning into consumerism triggers emotions of reassurance and ease for a consumer.

Twitchell and Eaton both make a connection between advertising and religion; how do their views differ? In Twitchell’s essay, he makes a point by saying how religion only enforces the sales of materialistic objects and increases the importance of consumerism. He recognizes that