Leftist ad-persons and their creative craft: the formation of the advertising field in Turkey from the 1960s to 1980s

ABSTRACTA socialist advertiser/ adperson sounds very much like a contradiction. However, Turkish advertising was formed as a “field” from the 1960s to late 1980s by left leaning intellectuals and literary figures associated with the dominant socialist political party of the time. While entrepreneurial and profit-oriented agents were significant initiators, the field was essentially shaped by leftist/ socialist adpersons along with established/ entrepreneurial agents and entered into competition with such profit-oriented actors. Such competition, combined at times with cooperation, led to the creation of a field in the Bourdieusian sense. Thus, analysing the formation of the field, we can go beyond conceptualizing adpersons as mere cultural intermediaries and understand advertising as a social space in which multiple capitals operate. This allows us to reflect on the un(der)theorized work of left(ists) in the making of consumer capitalism during the post war period in Turkey.KEYWORDS: Advertisingcultural intermediariesBourdieufield analysisleftists and capitalism Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Advertising certainly existed in Turkey before the 1960s, but it did not comprise a “social field,” “a relatively autonomous social microcosm that has a specific logic that cannot be reduced to the logics that define other such fields” (Bourdieu and Wacquant Citation1992, 97).2 The data used in this study has been in major part collected by one of the co-authors of this study, İpek Tan Çelebi, for her PhD dissertation. Besides the secondary sources, 18 face to face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with the veterans of the field.3 Other major players in the field were Cenajans, Merkez Ajans, Markom, Yaratım, Grafika, Moran, and Pars McCann. Note that the figures in the table are from 1989. By then, major global agencies entered into the Turkish advertising market through partnerships with local firms and this led Ajans ADA, which did not have a global partner by then, and Manajans / Thompson lost some of their market share to newly growing firms. Still, these two firms were comfortably in the top five.4 Most of the studies in this new line of thinking are ethnographic studies based on contemporary advertising in national or global contexts. See, e.g. Cronin (Citation2004; Citation2010); Mazzarella (Citation2003); McLeod, O’Donohoe, and Townley (Citation2009; Citation2011); de Waal Malefyt and Moeran (Citation2003); Miller (Citation2003). Studies focusing on different historical trajectories are also available, though less in quantity. For a selection of such publications, see Nixon (Citation2003); McFall (Citation2002); De Grazia (Citation2005); Swett, Wiesen, and Zatlin (Citation2007); Crawford and Dickenson (Citation2016).5 The tension between art and commerce, or creativity and profit making has been discussed in the literature, but the focus of these works is essentially on how such tension surfaces in the daily practices of advertising production. Hackley (Citation2000), for instance suggests that such a tension, “has become a major resource for the negotiation of professional identity in advertising agencies” (65) and “the commercial imperative is often seen by creatives as an impediment to professional excellence” (68). Mazzarella (Citation2003, 103) mentions this tension as a perpetual dilemma of the advertising industry that it “comes across as a cultural production that straddles the realms of ‘art’ and ‘commerce’.” See also Hackley and Kover (Citation2007).6 MacRury (Citation2009); McDonald and Scott (Citation2007).7 See Keyder (Citation1987), also Pamuk (Citation2008, 242–243).8 The advertising revenue of the 1970s was around $24 million and increased to over $100 million with the rise of TV commercials in the 1980s.9 This was a common practice in the UK and the US beginning from the early twentieth century. The major agencies made systematic efforts to maintain links with artistic and literary communities to support the creative content of their work. See McFall (Citation2004, 133–136) and Tungate (Citation2007, 10).10 See especially narrations by advertising veterans, quoted in Baransel (Citation2003, 114–120); and Özkan (Citation2005, 126).11 See for an explanation of the concept, Bourdieu (Citation1993, 77).12 These agents include many notable names of the literary field. See Baransel (Citation2003, 114–119; 159–161).13 The prevalence of literary folks is not an unfamiliar story in the world of advertising. There are many examples of artists and writers employed in advertising on a full time or freelance basis in the European and American contexts. See Pope (Citation1983, 180–181), McFall (Citation2004, 133–136), De Grazia (Citation2005, 248) and Tungate (Citation2007, 13; 32–33). Similar to the Turkish case, Dickenson (Citation2015) suggests that in Australia, the absence of a culture industry and government support for the arts led Leftist artists to work in advertising. Yet, unlike in Turkey, leftist adpersons in Australia do not stand out as field-constituting agents (Crawford and Dickenson Citation2016).14 Quoted in Sezer (Citation2005, 101).15 Island means Ada in Turkish, demonstrating the company’s image for its employees.16 A highly acclaimed poet, Haydar Ergülen started advertising as a copywriter at Ajans ADA in the 1980s and worked as a creative director at various agencies until the 2000s.17 Ersin Salman, Nazar Büyüm, Hasan Parkan and Zafer Ataylan.18 See e.g. Fox (Citation1997, 218–272); Frank (Citation1998, 42–47); Tungate (Citation2007, 49–65).19 Acıman was in favor of sticking to the established formula that worked seamlessly for profit. As Nazar Büyüm (the co-founder of Ajans Ada and former copywriter of Manajans) narrated, Acıman said, “son, the proven formula should not be abandoned” (“Logoyu Büyütenler” documentary, 8.30–9.00 min, Citation2014).20 The phrase is still in use as of 2023. See https://www.merbolin.com.tr.21 For the TVC, see: bit.ly/3ADqBv8.22 Ergülen (Citation2011); Davutoğlu (Citation2002).23 Acıman asked Ersin Salman to be in the administrative board of the association in the preliminary meetings for the establishment of the association (Sezer Citation2005, 295).Additional informationNotes on contributorsİpek Tan-Çelebiİpek Tan-Çelebi is a Lecturer in Advertising at İstanbul Bilgi University, Turkey. Her current research interests include advertising history, cultural production, and creative labour.Z. Umut TüremZ. Umut Türem is an Associate Professor at the Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History, Istanbul/Turkey. His research focuses on questions of law and society; political economy and social developments under neoliberalism by taking 2nd WW Turkey as its background.