Establishing the Modern Advertising Languages: Patent Medicine Newspaper Advertisements in Hong Kong, 1945-1970

Abstract

This article traces the formation of modern advertising languages in Hong Kong when this society was developing into the industrialization stage and was experiencing steady economic growth in the period from 1945 through 1969 It argues that Hong Kong advertising culture developed under the influence of Western advertising techniques, images and ideology, which shaped the modern advertising languages of Hong Kong Newspaper advertisements for patent medicines from Sing Tao Daily, one of the earliest newspapers in Hong Kong, formed the study sample This article also outlines the role and contribution of patent medicine advertisements in the history of advertising in Hong Kong, where they ushered in a new era of advertising sophistication and a new collection of techniques that are still in use as advertising strategies today The role and content of Hong Kong patent medicine advertisements were similar in many ways to those of the West, but Hong Kong did not experience the growth necessary to establish advertising until after the end of the Second World War when the society finally achieved economic stability