# Does Advertising "work" in a Communist or Socialist society? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181 "2012-01-02T21:31:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/21 "2012-01-03T12:42:53Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > But in the Soviet Union (and indeed in modern-day planned central economies) there _was_ advertising for products and services. Clearly there must have been some “reason” for it or they wouldn’t have done it. The same reason as others have advertising. To let the consumer (and yes there are consumer) that a certain product/service is available. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/22 "2012-01-03T14:55:25Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > It appears that most people here buy into American right-wing economic theories, so they don’t quite understand what “socialism” actually is. Bear in mind that the Soviet Union considered itself to be socialist as well as communist. The term can cover a lot of ground. > [@AK84](#): > > The same reason as others have advertising. To let the consumer (and yes there are consumer) that a certain product/service is available. Indeed. Put up a sign saying “We have onions”, and consumers would line up around the block. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/23 "2012-01-03T15:21:17Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Another advantage of a planned central economy. If the supreme leader decides everyone needs to carry a banner with his picture on it, he can simply decree it, or decree that only people who carry banners get their ration of potatoes… Old poli sci joke: In a democracy, what is not prohibited is permitted. In a dictatorship, what is not prohibited is _compulsory_. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/24 "2012-01-03T17:28:59Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > It seems to be deliberate - it’s not that Americans can’t grasp that there’s a whole world of difference between a social democracy and a communist totalitarian state, it’s that _some_ Americans like to pretend it’s all the same thing. And unfortunately, many of those are the politicians…:smack: I felt it was clear that the OP was asking about communist dictatorships and the other flavours of "socialist’ government that are similar to that - like the Soviet Union, Cuba, etc. It didn’t even occur to me to think that someone would think that this was a topic that applied to places like Canada or Scandinavia! That would be truly ignorant, wouldn’t it? It would be nice if we could all agree on what terms to use for what form of government. It would also be nice if I had a pony. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/25 "2012-01-03T23:17:28Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > And unfortunately, many of those are the politicians…:smack: > I felt it was clear that the OP was asking about communist dictatorships and the other flavours of "socialist’ government that are similar to that - like the Soviet Union, Cuba, etc. It didn’t even occur to me to think that someone would think that this was a topic that applied to places like Canada or Scandinavia! That would be truly ignorant, wouldn’t it? > > It would be nice if we could all agree on what terms to use for what form of government. > > It would also be nice if I had a pony. There’s a couple here but they aren’t cheap. > **[Ponies for Sale in Quebec](https://www.equinenow.com/ponyquebec.htm)** > > EquineNow listing of pony for sale in quebec. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/26 "2012-01-03T23:28:29Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Bear in mind that the Soviet Union considered itself to be socialist as well as communist. The term can cover a lot of ground. > > . Nitpick : untrue. Soviet Union considered itself as merely socialist (as its name implies), communism being the theorical final stage that would eventually be achieved according to Marxism (most notably, state/government would no longer be required and would naturally decay with the advent of communism). There are so many different meanings for “socialism” that the OP question can’t be answered if he doesn’t say what he is refering to when he uses this word (as demonstrated in the following thread, where some poster assumed he was talking about Warsaw Pact countries and others about Scandinavian countries) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/27 "2012-01-03T23:41:55Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > There’s a couple here but they aren’t cheap. > > [Ponies for Sale in Quebec](http://www.equinenow.com/ponyquebec.htm) Awww…cute! I’d love to have a pony by the name of Flashy Houdini Midget. Will you give me one? Or, for that matter, will the government? I may also need the land to keep it on… my living room is kinda small and I don’t think ponies like climbing the outdoor staircase… [SocialistMnemolandDecree]Ponies for everyone![/smd] Quick, print up the signs! ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/28 "2012-01-04T03:14:32Z")
Here’s an article about Soviet Advertising from the 1930s with many nice examples of the art from [Dieselpunks](http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/soviet-advertising-1930s). Given the sheer number of advertisements (there are other related articles at that site), I imagine at least some of them had an effect on sales. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181/29 "2012-01-04T05:14:36Z")
> [@xnylder](#): > > Here’s an article about Soviet Advertising from the 1930s with many nice examples of the art from [Dieselpunks](http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/soviet-advertising-1930s). Given the sheer number of advertisements (there are other related articles at that site), I imagine at least some of them had an effect on sales. Great link - thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-advertising-work-in-a-communist-or-socialist-society/608181.md?page=1)