Profit Margins: The American Silent Cinema and the Marginalization of Advertising

Cinema ads became a symbol of the developing binary between upper-class film consumption and more consumerist media. Jeremy Groskopf's Profit Margins examines how the ad industry jockeyed for direct advertisement space in American motion pictures, revealing that advertising became a marker of class distinctions in the cinema experience as the film industry pushed out advertisers to create a space free of ads.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 346 pages
\n Publication date: 07 December 2021
\n Publisher: Indiana University Press
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Between the advent of print advertising and the dawn of radio, cinema ads emerged as a significant milestone in the evolving relationship between upper-class film consumption and more consumerist media. In his book "Profit Margins," Jeremy Groskopf delves into the intricate dynamics of the ad industry's quest for direct advertisement space within American motion pictures. Advertisers, recognizing the immense value of film audiences, engaged in heated battles with exhibitors to shape the expectations and experiences of moviegoers. Groskopf's analysis, conducted through four case studies, unveils that advertising gradually became a marker of class distinctions within the cinema experience. As the film industry sought to create a space free from advertisements, it restricted advertising, particularly during the rise of high-class, palatial theaters. This move further solidified the film industry's ambition to ascend the cultural hierarchy of the arts.

"Profit Margins" is a crucial text for scholars of film studies and marketing, offering a profound exploration of the invention of cinema advertising techniques and the ensuing rhetoric of class division. It sheds light on the complex interplay between the film industry, advertisers, and audiences, revealing how advertising became an integral part of the cinematic experience and how it shaped the perception of films and their audiences. This book provides valuable insights into the historical and cultural significance of cinema advertising and its impact on the broader social and economic landscape.

\n Weight: 668g\n
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 28 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780253059390\n \n