Buzz
Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, is hailed as the founder of public relations, also referred to as propaganda. His approach frequently involved reshaping cultural trends to enhance the appeal of his products or ideas. Below are 10 strategies he employed to achieve this.
Sigmund Freud, the iconic figure associated with psychoanalysis, wasn’t the only influential thinker in his family. While his daughter Anna gained some recognition, albeit controversially, his nephew Edward Louis Bernays matched Freud’s impact in terms of scale and enduring influence.
Edward Bernays, a Cornell agriculture graduate, found his calling in shaping public opinion, a concept he termed “engineering consent” in one of his essays. Dubbed the “father of public relations” by The New York Times, his innovative techniques and philosophies continue to underpin modern marketing practices.
Bernays despised the direct and rational advertising approaches of his time. Drawing from his uncle’s theories, he believed consumers were driven by subconscious desires rather than logic. By exploiting these desires, he achieved outcomes ranging from boosting cigarette sales to garnering public support for wars. His ultimate goal wasn’t merely to sell a product or idea but to transform societal norms, making his offerings the natural choice. Here are 10 astonishing ways he reshaped our perceptions, beliefs, and reality itself.
10. World War I
Reflecting on history often requires questioning the lens through which we view it. For instance, while modern U.S. wars are met with a certain mindset, this wasn’t always the case. Historically, many Americans believed global conflicts were not their concern. This shifted when the U.S. joined World War I, despite widespread public opposition. Edward Bernays played a pivotal role in this shift, working with the military to persuade the public that the war was justified. His efforts laid the groundwork for modern propaganda techniques, which governments have since refined.
This experience became the foundation of Bernays’ career, as he adapted military propaganda strategies for commercial use.
9. Ham and Eggs as the All-American Breakfast
Have you ever wondered why certain foods are considered staples? The classic All-American breakfast of ham and eggs is a prime example. Today, diners across the country serve dishes like “The American,” featuring bacon and eggs. However, this tradition wasn’t always the norm.
Before 1920, the typical American breakfast was modest, consisting of grains, fruit, and coffee. The shift to a heartier meal began when Edward Bernays took on the Beech-Nut Packing Company as a client, aiming to boost pork sales. Bernays gathered endorsements from nearly 5,000 U.S. doctors, who claimed that a heavier breakfast, particularly one including bacon and eggs, was healthier. This strategy succeeded, as Bernays leveraged the doctors' statements to promote the idea without direct endorsements. Since then, ham and eggs have become synonymous with the American breakfast.
8. The Color Green
This is an intriguing case. Lucky Strike cigarettes featured a bright green package, which Bernays was hired to promote. Through surveys, he found that women, in particular, avoided the brand because the packaging clashed with their outfits.
Instead of changing the packaging, Bernays took a creative approach. He launched a fashion trend for the color green by placing articles in magazines and organizing “green balls,” where attendees wore green in green-themed settings. This strategy paid off, as green became fashionable, and Lucky Strike gained popularity as a stylish accessory.
7. Women Smokers
The targeting of women as consumers was largely influenced by Bernays. Before his work with Virginia Slims, smoking was socially unacceptable or even illegal for women in some states. Recognizing the growing momentum of the suffragette movement, Bernays seized the opportunity. During a women’s march in New York, he orchestrated a group of participants to light cigarettes simultaneously, while photographers he hired captured the moment.
The newspapers dubbed this act “torches of freedom.” This clever stunt not only reduced societal resistance but also dismantled legal barriers, making smoking more acceptable for women.
Building on the success of the “torches of freedom” campaign, Bernays launched further initiatives suggesting that women who smoked were slimmer and more attractive than non-smokers. This idea continues to influence young women even today.
6. Hair Nets in the Work Force
While it may seem mundane, the widespread adoption of hair nets highlights Bernays’ profound influence. Before his involvement, hair nets were virtually unseen in public spaces. After his campaigns, they became mandatory in numerous industries. Over the past century, billions of factory workers, cafeteria staff, and others have worn hair nets daily, ensuring hygiene and preventing stray hairs in food. For those concerned about cleanliness, Bernays’ intervention is genuinely appreciated.
5. Fluoride in the Water
The debate over water fluoridation can now be put to rest. Edward Bernays was commissioned by Alcoa to promote industrial-grade fluoride, a byproduct of aluminum manufacturing, as a public health benefit. Bernays admitted he took the job out of curiosity to see if he could persuade an entire population to act against their instinctive understanding of health. By manipulating authoritative sources like dictionaries and encyclopedias to include entries on “fluoridation,” he successfully created an illusion of legitimacy, achieving his goal with remarkable success.
4. Instant Cake Mix
Using instant cake mix was once considered a mark of laziness among homemakers. No respectable baker or parent would rely on boxed mixes, as instant products carried a stigma. However, Bernays changed this perception. Through research and observation, he discovered that consumers felt guilty for not putting enough effort into baking for their families. His solution was simple: manufacturers added a step requiring users to add an egg. This small act of effort satisfied the need for sacrifice and care, making instant cake mixes acceptable. This strategy not only saved the product but also influenced the rise of today’s instant culture.
3. Publicity for Presidents
Bernays pioneered one of the earliest publicity campaigns for a U.S. president. Calvin Coolidge, during the 1924 election, was seen as overly rigid, so Bernays arranged celebrity visits and a Vaudeville show on the White House lawn to soften his image. This event marked the beginning of the media-driven spectacle that now defines American elections, blurring the lines between politics and entertainment.
Edward Bernays possessed an extraordinary ability to influence public perception, leaving a lasting impact on how we view the world. While his power to shape minds is unsettling, we can be grateful he wasn’t active in the internet age, where smartphones provide constant access to behavioral conditioning stimuli. With such tools, Bernays’ influence could have been even more pervasive.
2. Sexual Education
Bernays was a complex figure, often supporting contradictory causes with equal fervor. He shifted between liberal and conservative ideologies, driven either by a fluid sense of truth or purely financial motives.
Despite his elitist views on societal manipulation, Bernays championed sexual education for the masses. He challenged censors, created a fictitious committee to garner support, and enlisted influential figures to back a theater production educating audiences about venereal diseases. If alive today, his methods might resemble advocating for climate change denial while simultaneously funding organizations like Planned Parenthood.
1. Engineering Consent
As highlighted earlier, Bernays coined the term “engineering consent” and authored works on the concept. He argued that democracy couldn’t be entrusted to the general populace, insisting that the elite must safeguard the lower classes from their own decisions. This protection involved manipulating public opinion through meticulously crafted campaigns, all while celebrating the ideals of free elections.
While he may not have been the first to propose this idea, Bernays’ connections to figures like John D. Rockefeller and Eleanor Roosevelt, combined with his pioneering methods for turning theory into practice, cemented his influence. His perspective significantly shaped social and political trends throughout the 20th century and continues to resonate today.
