,We find that from the very beginning of the industrial age, advertisements played a vital role in expanding the markets for products’. Explain the statement in the context of pre-independence period of our country.
Ans. The British manufacturers attempted to take over the Indian market by adopting different ways and the most important among them was with the help of advertisements.
The Manchester industrialists began selling their cloth in India by putting labels on the cloth bundles. When buyers saw such labels on the cloth like MADE IN MANCHESTER in bold letters, they felt confident about buying the cloth.
Moreover, the manufacturers also used images of Indian Gods, Goddesses and important personalities on these labels. These images helped to make the foreign products somehow familiar to Indian people.
In the late 19th century, the British manufacturers used calendars to popularise their products. Unlike newspapers and magazines, calendars were being used even by illiterate people. Indian manufacturers advertised the nationalist message.
They wanted to suggest by these advertisements that “if you care for the nation, then buy Indian products”. Indian manufacturers advertised the nationalist message which was clear and loud. Advertisement became a vehicle of the message of Swadeshi.