The Americanization of Italian Advertising during the 1950s and the 1960s, Mediations, Conflicts and Appropriations

Purpose: This article focuses on the Americanization of European advertising in the post-war years as a phenomenon of cultural transfer and it aims to explore the interaction between U.S. and Italian advertising traditions during the 1950s and the 1960s. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is in two parts. First, we study the role of those cross-cultural mediators who contributed to changing marketing communication strategies of many Italian companies during the 1950s and the 1960s. Secondly, we look at the ways in which U.S. advertising rules and patterns were combined with the local tradition in order to fit the Italian context of the post-war years. The research is based on a study of the main U.S. and Italian marketing and advertising literature of the post-war years and on an analysis of press campaigns and TV commercials. Findings: This research shows that during the 1950s and the 1960s the conflict between the American approach and the Italian approach to advertising did not prevent interaction and negotiation. In the post-war years U.S. know-how and practices were re-interpreted through the process of transfer to Italy creating original and unexpected solutions. Originality/Value: Although some research has been conducted on the Italian advertising scene during the post-World War II years, the few existing contributions did not focus on the interaction between the imported American model and the local traditions. This study provide a good overview of the ways in which notions, methodologies and strategies coming from U. S. were implemented. Keywords: Advertising, Advertising agencies, Americanization, Graphic Design, Italy, Globalization. Paper type: Research paper