HW#11 Econ 108

A.

A.   In the reading assignment this week, we had to look at various images and discuss what they mean in regards to supply and demand. I was surprised at the marketing techniques used for the ad to get its message across. One of the ads makes a figure that is supposed to represent Hitler with the message of not to waste materials. I think that using Hitler in an advertising campaign is a little extreme and would make me mad at the advertiser than make me want to conserve. Another ad uses a similar technique by using Hitler to convey their message. This one had to do with saving fuel by carpooling. The third one used the technique of scaring the people into thinking that if they don’t sacrifice, then they will live in slavery. The last one has to do with loyalty and not stealing or doing anything illegal to get goods. These ads were clearly made in WW2 to try and get people to conserve since there was such a scarcity of products since a lot of material and foods had to be sent over sees to feed and aid the troops fighting the war. These ads change peoples incentives. Like the one saying if you ride with alone you ride with Hitler. People don’t want to be known as the person that rides with Hitler, so they start car puling to keep their good reputation. It’s funny how ads change through time. Ads like this would never be seen today because they would be highly criticized if they did.

B.

1. How would these ads change the supply and demand curve from before these ads and WW2 happened?

2. Once the war ended, what would the supply and demand curve look like?

C.

The first image is one that has a bunch of materials put together to look like Hitler, and says “Waste Helps The Enemy” “Conserve Material” This ad regarding supply and demand would cause the supply and demand curve to stay the same but would increase the Quantity supplied and the Quantity Demanded. This is because the amount supplied would be the same because manufacturers at this time were producing as much as they could to help the troops and there were shortages going on at the time because manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the amount of required goods at the time. They Demand curve would stay the same because people still wanted the materials, but didn’t get them because then it would be like they were taking away their chances of winning the war so only the Quantity demanded would decrease.

In the second image saying “When You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler. Join a Car-Sharing Club TODAY!” is very similar to ad 1. You would increase Quantity Supplied and decrease Quantity Demanded, but you wouldn’t change the supply and demand curves. This is because there isn’t really any substitute for gasoline to get places. Especially during the 1940’s before electric and hybrid cars were on the market.

In the third ad, it says, “The world cannot exist half slave and half free. Sacrifice for freedom!” is the same as the first two ads. If people are sacrificing in regards to every product, then there are no substitutes available because any possible substitute for any given thing has to be sacrificed as well. So once again, quantity supplied will go up, and quantity demanded will go down.

The fourth ad says “Make this pledge: I pay no more than top legal prices. I accept no rationed goods without giving up ration stamps.” This would do the same thing as the rest of the ads. Since there is no replacement for goods, only quantity demand and quantity supplied will change. The amount supplied stays the same, but the goods go over seas to people fighting the war rather than stay in the US. People still demand the same amount that they did before WW2, but they can’t buy it because there is not enough available for everyone.

All of these ads have the same effect on the supply and demand curve. The only difference is that they are giving the same message through different techniques in advertising.