Advertisements, promotions, public relations (PR) activities… The communication that brands establish with us has only one goal, right? That is to sell products. Well, this has been established A dark side of marketing communications Could it be?

Let’s take a little trip back to the years when brands didn’t give as much importance to communicating with their consumers as they do now. It was a very successful but also very successful event that took place in those years when there was not even a good understanding of marketing. of a controversial PR effort what we will talk about.

The name behind this work is Edward Bernays, known as the father of the concept of public relations!

Edward Bernays, born in Vienna in 1891, also known as the father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud’s cousin!

For this reason, Bernays is interested in psychology and the art of manipulating the masses received from his uncle Freud It is said.

After emigrating to America, Bernays in the 1920s in the field of public relations He is on his way to a career and the first step of the revolution that will begin in this field has been taken.

Bernays, in this process Manipulating public thoughts and behaviorrealized that this was only possible with the right messages.

During that time he discovered using these new techniques Marketing products from companies It also achieves great success in its field and makes its name known.

The most notable moment in Bernays’ career was his campaign for the American Tobacco Company in the late 1920s!

In those years It is a shame for women to smoke and was not socially accepted.

By encouraging women to smoke increase the company’s turnover want Bernays, with the support of women’s rights organizations, launched a campaign called “Torch of Freedom.”

In this campaign women smoking as a symbol of freedom and independence and organized a march in New York.

This PR campaign he conducted was so effective that during the march women walking while smoking It made a huge impact.

So much so that Bernays’ campaign not only convinced society that smoking was harmless, but also freedom symbol He managed to convince me that this was the case.

Bernays achieved great success with these manipulative techniques he created in public relations, but it also became the center of major ethical debates.

So much so that even when the harms of smoking were scientifically proven, Bernays’ methods persisted was etched in the minds of the masses.

His achievements revolutionized public relations and advertising, but this revolutionat the expense of public health It had happened.

Although he describes himself as successful in achieving his goals, he is a non-smoker Even Bernays, who tried to get his wife to quit smoking, This manner of professional conduct is still remembered as an example that emphasizes the importance of marketing ethics.

The Story of Edward Bernays, the power of public relations and it is a striking example that shows that this power requires responsibility.

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