Conclusion

Overall, women in coffee advertising during and after World War II show the expected labor of women. During the war, when women were seen as consumers, advertisers showed that their coffee consumption assisted them in their household duties or painted their paid labor as temporary. As servers during the war, their changed war time roles were highlighted but their homemaker presence was still emphasized. After the war, any break in traditional portrayals of women disappeared. When women were seen as consumers of coffee, the consumption was no longer viewed as an act that could improve their ability to perform household responsibilities. It was simply seen as supplemental. When advertisers displayed women as servers of coffee after the war, there was a focus on their natural ability to serve and make coffee, as well as their talent in doing so. These patterns are important aspects in understanding how the history of coffee advertising changed (or did not change) as societal restructuring occurred. These advertisements presented help to frame how we understand the role of advertising in the history of coffee’s consumption. As the world becomes increasingly commercialized, it is important to look at how advertisers in the past have responded to shifts in society. This analysis can help us be more critical of coffee advertisers today and look into the deeper meaning of what their advertisements may be implying.