Representations of Corporations

This pair of Westinghouse advertisements appeared in Scientific American - the first in 1945, the second in 1958.



Westinghouse ad, May 1945, p. 291

This ad was shown in the May issue of Scientific American, released April 21, so the ad was designed before the German surrender. However, the main point of the ad is Westinghouse's contribution to the war effort in 1944 - with everything from propulsion engines to insecticides. There's a strong emphasis on their manufacturing abilities, with the subtitle to their name saying "Plants in 25 Cities, Offices Everywhere". The little bar graph has a Production column towering over Wages, Taxes, and Profit. The corporation presents itself as a powerful force in American manufacturing and the war effort in order to sell itself to the American public; the natural conclusion is that those qualities are what the public values.

The human figures shown are task-oriented: working in a factory, using bug spray, flying a plane, or marching in formation. All figures are men, all turn away from the "eye" of the artist. The art glamorizes their productivity and physical actions over their qualities as individuals, reflecting the wartime philosophy of working and sacrificing for the greater good as a unified society, rather than a network of individuals.



Westinghouse recruitment ad, May 1958, p. 89

The second ad is quite different. It is a recruitment ad for the Bettis Atomic Power Division at Westinghouse. A single man strikes a dramatic pose: he's moving up and forward, nicely outfitted with square jaw, suit, and neatly combed hair. Unlike the working men of the first ad, he is clearly an intellectual - the ad calls only for "advanced degrees" in physics, math, etc. - with a book on his desk and a periodic table behind him. Instead of looking at the company's past achievements, the ad points to the challenges of the future ("There is much to be done").

There is no sign of the manufacturing power that was touted in the first ad. Instead, the focus is on theory and research, the abstract concept of atomic power. While the ad is directed at potential employees, those men are part of a broader audience that valorizes the bright future promised by Westinghouse.