Emptor Australis: The Australian Consumer In Early Twentieth Century Advertising Literature

Well aware that it is the consumer who makes or breaks an advertisement, the advertising industry has long paid close attention to its audience. However, advertising historians have generally overlooked the industry’s efforts to define the consumer and the impact this has had upon advertisements and the advertising industry itself. By examining the changing conceptualisation of the Australian consumer featured in the locally produced advertising literature during the early twentieth century, this study offers an insight into the inner workings of Australia's fledgling advertising industry. It demonstrates the ways in which advertising interacted with the world around it.