The language of print advertising – Worksheet
Study the 9 advertisements for tomato sauce (or ‘ketchup’). Each advertisement is taken
from a different decade between the 1910s and the 2000s, excluding the 1980s.
Place the advertisements in the sequence in which you believe they were published.
Comment on the implicit cultural values depicted in each advertisement and how structural
and stylistic devices communicate these values.
Share your findings with the class
Year & Cultural values expressed in each
text advertisement
1910s The ad emphasizes on the fresh, natural
ketchup Heinz makes, unlike the other
Text # 4 factory produced products which have
lower quality.
1920s There is freshness and the goodness of
summertime that comes from Heinz
Text # 9 ketchup that is expressed in the ad.
1930s This ad is meant for housewives trying to
please their husbands and expresses
Text # 1 family values.
Structural and stylistic features that
communicate these values
There are farmers picking the tomatoes
in a field in the background, which
signifies the freshness of the tomatoes
that comes from farm picked produce.
They put emphasis on the fact that they
use superior materials and clean kitchens
to assure the audience of the quality.
They also state that it is free of Benzoate
and so preservative-free. The ‘57’ is
written in bold so the audience focuses
on the large selection of varieties Heinz
offers.
The green in the background is
associated with nature and greenery,
which yields the best quality produce.
The big, red, ripe tomatoes stand out
against the green. There is a puff to grab
the reader’s attention and interest them.
All throughout the ad, there is a
connection between summer and Heinz
ketchup with imagery used to excite the
readers. They are also offering a salad
book for 4 cents as an incentive.
In 1930s, there were lots of housewives
who used to cook all day. This ad
appeals to them by convincing them that
their husbands will love Heinz ketchup.
There is a note and signature of the
President to persuade them by showing
that even the President loved the
ketchup. The line below that states that
Heinz is the largest selling ketchup
company in the world creates a
bandwagon effect. The image shows a
happy man holding the bottle, which is
depicted below again, to familiarize the
readers with the design of the bottle.
1940s This ad illustrates that Heinz ketchup is a There is no text in the ad besides the
top-of-the-line, high-end product for the bottle label, which implies that the image
Text # 5 rich and classy. should be sufficient to sell the product.
The fact that Heinz is not written in a
bold font anywhere signifies that it is
now a very commonly recognizable
brand. In the image, the man is holding
the ketchup bottle like one would a high
quality, fashionable product, in a manner
similar to how the woman is holding the
shoe. It seems as if the woman is
contemplating buying either the shoes or
the ketchup, which suggests that the
ketchup is just as valuable as the shoes,
while the man is trying to convince the
woman to go for the ketchup bottle.

1950s This ad highlights the quality of the There are images below showing the
ketchup and the fact that it is very different ways ketchup can be used, thus
Text # 8 versatile. expressing its versatility. The word
“YOU” is in bold to engage the readers
and interact with them. The words
“finest”, “naturally”, and “without
artificial flavoring” assure the readers
that Heinz makes its
ketchup using only the best, freshest
ingredients.

1960s This ad is trying to convey that Heinz is The boy in the picture looks happy seems
loved by children too. to be enjoying the ketchup. Also, the font
Text # 7 appears to be written by the boy,
displaying that he believes the text. This
is meant for parents to convince them to
buy Heinz as it is loved by children and
to other kids as well as seeing this may
cause them to try Heinz too. The bright
colors used are eye catching.

1970s This ad shows that Heinz is unlike other
brands as it is completely natural and
Text # 3 also evokes a sense of homeliness.
The first line itself signifies that Heinz is
natural. Along with it, the picture
represents a ketchup bottle growing from
a tomato plant which shows how Heinz
is just tomatoes in a bottle. There is
repetition of the fact that it contains no
artificial ingredients to completely assure
the audience. There are also “homely”,
“rich” and “good ripe” which add on to
the quality and satisfaction that comes
from consuming Heinz ketchup. The last
line is in red to stand out and it sets
Heinz apart from the other ketchup
brands. There is negative space all
around so the focus is only on the image
and the text.

1990s They are trying to show simplicity, The image is a plain painting with a few
 purity and naturalness of Heinz ketchup. words written. It is surrounded by green,
like its previous ads, to signify the
Text # 6 naturalness of their product. The font is
handwritten which shows the efforts they
put in to
make their ketchup. They distinguish
Heinz from other brands that use starch
by claiming that Heinz only uses
tomatoes.

2000s This ad is playful and useful as it The ad looks like a noticeboard,

provides a tutorial for a dish including complete with the pushpins. It is
Text # 2 ketchup. different and attracts the readers. There is
also a recipe for “The Ultimate Cheat
Pizza” which makes it all the more
interesting. There is an ingredients list to
complete the look. The line “Squirt some
on a friend” adds a sense of playfulness.
The ad also includes a coupon to act as
an incentive and persuade people to buy
Heinz.