The City that Sold America
Touring with the film: Mary Warlick, Executive Director
Documentary
At the threshold of the 20th century, a melting pot of adventurous immigrants, creative mavericks, and freedom-seeking African Americans shaped consumerism as we now know it. The new documentary The City That Sold America reveals, with intriguing insights and wistful nostalgia, the confluence of Chicago’s creative talent, business savvy, grit, and determination that changed the country and our relationship with popular culture. For the first time, the film explores how Chicago introduced groundbreaking, behavior-changing ideas like fast food chains, orange juice, soap operas, African-American beauty products, late night talk shows, toothpaste, and Kleenex. The City That Sold America uncovers the origins of beloved icons like Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant, Charlie Tuna, the Budweiser’s Clydesdales, and the Pillsbury Dough Boy—all of whom have made lasting impressions upon generations of Americans. As print and broadcast media evolved, Chicago’s centralized location and Midwestern approach helped expand the reach of advertisers, giving rise to the enduring practices of product placement, spokespeople, market research, and conscious branding.
The City That Sold America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WP5E_Fghyk
For more information please visit https://www.southarts.org/touring-arts/southern-circuit/ or contact Kristen Holmes, 256.352.8118.
Double Feature Night
In celebration of Halloween, Beetlejuice will follow.