He wakes up with a start, gets out of bed, runs in all directions, begs. -Boursin! Boursin! »…before opening the fridge and looking for the Boursin “garlic and herbs”. “Issued at 7:56 p.m.Ahem In October 1968, signed by Publicis, the first thirty-second television advertisement, costing 70,000 francs, broadcast by the ORTF, suddenly revolutionized traditional advertising. Although actor Jacques Duby uttered the Boursin brand 17 times! »recalls Anne Saint Dreux, founder of La Maison de la pub, which comes out The golden age of advertising (Editions du Rocher, 144 pages, €17.90), co-written with presenter Thierry Ardisson.
Certainly, the French had already seen television advertisements since 1959. But they were exclusively “paid broadcasts” for companies or public sector groups, such as the pea manufacturers, embodied by Pipiou, mi-pea, half-chick. Television at that time was a public service and we wondered if it was normal for it to be used to help brands increase their profits.
France is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the United States, where “Mad Men” Madison Avenue took over the television format from 1Ahem July 1941 and used it to promote consumer products with a delicious mix of freshness and cynicism. The United Kingdom followed in 1954, as did Italy, which was soon joined by West Germany (1956), then Spain (1957)… and finally France.
Motion of censure
Given the Government’s announcement, the press is already concerned about future losses, estimated between 15% and 20% of its advertising revenue. Although, in order not to harm other media too much, many products (alcohol, tobacco, medicines, publications, cinema, records, mass distribution, air transport, etc.) are prohibited. For their part, left-wing elected officials reject the idea, transmitting part of public opinion. The left-wing deputy Roland Dumas drafted a motion of censure that was debated on April 23 and 24, 1968: the opposition criticized the government for using the measure to weaken a press that was too anti-Gaullist by cutting its advertising revenue.
But beyond its possible second political intentions, the project led by Georges Pompidou primarily has a financial objective: “develop consumption” AND “to contribute, thanks to brand advertising, 30 million francs net to the ORTF’s annual budget of 1,493 million francs planned for 1969 and financed 82% through audiovisual rights”according the world of October 18, 1968. The motion did not obtain the absolute majority of 244 votes and the introduction of television advertising will be adopted by regulation during the riots of May 68. In 2023, the turnover of television advertising will amount to 3,382 million euros, or 23% of the total advertising market.
