Humanity, Animals, and Religion: The Metaphorical Sense of Rebirth and Apotheosis of Purity.
The success of advertising ultimately lies in the ability to bring attention to any product or service. Early medical trading cards existed in an
unregulated market where any edge was advantageous towards generating impressions and attracting new customers. The ability to distinguish certain products or brands created the opportunity to gain a greater market share thereby incentivizing some companies to cash in on their burgeoning name recognition among the populace. The American Red Cross was one such example, opting to utilize their trademark as a tool to grant some legitimacy to their products. The trading card on the left, titled "Red Cross Cough Drops (Front)", associates the cough drops being marketed with the legacy of the Red Cross. The figure in the trading card, depicted as a nurse, illustrates the humanity behind the product and creates the impression that the cough drops are the same that Red Cross nurses use to treat their patients. The utilization of nature as a backdrop for the front of the trading card and the lack of marketing copy underscore the ease which consumers might organically share the card as a token to collect rather than a mailer to throw away.
Rheumatism and Neuralgia:
Another way Patent Medicine Companies advertised their products was through evoking the emotions of the public. In the trade card, Rheumatism and Neuralgia, the depiction of an adolescence girl adorned in pristine white attire accentuates the concept of purity and innocence. In Western culture, white is often associated with innocence, which is why brides traditionally wear white on their wedding day to symbolize purity and virginity. Similarly, in the 19th century, it was widely believed that the absence of sexuality was what gave children their purity. Thus, the utilization of a young girl in white attire embodies the notion of purity, a quality valued by society. Consumers value purity for many reasons. They may associate purity with products that are free from contaminants that are harmful to their health. Purity is also desirable to consumers since they may align with their personal values and beliefs. They may have ethical, religious, or other reasons for seeking out specific products that reflect their values and resonate with them on a subconscious level. This trade card effectively showcases the desirable qualities that appeal to consumers, which ultimately contribute to the success of the marketing technique and boosting sales.
Hood's Sarsaparilla:
On the Hood's Sarsaparilla trade card, there is an illustration of three puppies observing an older dog pinning down a mouse. Their curiosity and focus on the task exemplifies how young animals are inherently innocent. The older dog is teaching the puppies skills that are necessary to survive. This suggests that when animals are born, they lack the innate ability to hunt and must acquire the necessary skills through instruction. This perception of young animals as innocent and pure stems from the fact that they have not yet learned or engaged in behaviors that may be seen as harmful or violent. Additionally, young animals are depicted in contemporary society and social media as cute and adorable, which reinforces the association with purity. The portrayal of these puppies as innocent and pure is an excellent marketing technique to appeal to consumers' emotions and values, just like in the trade card, Rheumatism and Neuralgia.
Dr. Isaac Thompson's celebrated eye water for all complaints of the eyes [inscribed]:
Furthermore, patent medicine trade cards often used animals to evoke strong emotional responses in people, such as feelings of comfort, happiness, or safety. By using animals in the advertising, the patent medicine companies were trying to create a positive emotional association with their products. Oftentimes, cats were used in trade cards because they symbolized elegance, cleanliness, and purity. In the patent medicine trade card, “Dr. Isaac Thompson’s celebrated eye water for all complaints of the eyes”, we see the cat with its head down as the older woman is applying the medicine to its head. This pose adds a sense of lightheartedness and endearment to the advertisement which helps the medicine seem less intimidating and more approachable. Additionally, cats were often associated with the concept of rebirth in patent medicine trade cards. This association is due to cats being hysterically linked with mysticism, magic, and the supernatural, as they were often seen as having nine lives. Consequently the images of cats was a way to promote the idea that their product could restore vitality and health. This is due to the idea of cats having nine lives, which is often associated with their grace and ability to land on their feet after a fall. In this trade card, this concept is used in conjunction with the idea of rejuvenation and renewal, which suggests that the product being advertised could help restore the body to its youthful state.
Ayer's Sarsaparilla Discovery of America [inscribed]
Continually, while some cards utilized animals, others chose to incorporate different imagery and themes, such as religion, on theirs. An example of a card that does this can be seen on the upper right and was advertising Ayer's Sarsaparilla in 1880. Religion was another major theme that was used due to the popularity of religion in the 19th century. In this card, a man in the lower right corner can be seen grasping a cross and looking up to the heavens, thanking God for his discovery. Here, Ayer's uses religion as a selling point, as this can be seen as the man thanking God for finding Ayer's product, which can now relieve all of his pain and allow him to live a better life . By including religion and religious imagery, the company would display to viewers that the product was aligned with religious beliefs. It was also meant to give potential consumers the reassurance that the product was not secular and would not take away their purity after using it. Ultimately, this card, like many other Patent Medicine Trade Cards of the 19th century, looked to use religion and the idea of purity as a way to appeal to potential consumers.
Keep Smiling [inscribed]
In somewhat of a contrast to religious ideas, some cards focused on science and human knowledge as a way to cure disease. "Keep Smiling" shows the address, contact, and business hours of Dr. R. O. Starkey, D.C., a doctor of chiropractic. The back side of the card describes the function of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. It states that obstructions of this current at different spinal levels are the cause of diseases at the corresponding organ systems. These descriptions are roughly consistent with knowledge today. Together, the card gives an introduction about the nervous system and claims that a chiropractor is someone who has deeper knowledge and, therefore, knows how to remove affections of nerves and restore health. This card is distinct in that there is no pharmaceutical product. Rather, it is the practitioner that is advertised as a curer of disease. Another interpretation of this, related religious imagery in Christianity, is that the chiropractor is acting like a healer, similar to how Jesus healed the sick and gave sight to the blind.
This page has paths:
- Student Projects Chien-Ling Liu Zeleny
Contents of this path:
- Animals and Religion: Two predominant features of 19th century Patent Medicine Trade Cards
- Flora and Fauna as Marketing Tools in Medical Trading Cards
- Utilization of Children and Animals as Symbols of Endurance and Rebirth
- Children and Animals: The Notion of Rebirth and its Role in Marketing
- Science and Human Expertise in the Marketing of Cures
