Washington, Lincoln and Franklin: Ad pitchmen?

The Campbell Soup Company (above) and The American Cereal Company (detail, below) are among the businesses that have used patriotic images in their food advertisements. The exhibit, "Patriotic Fare: Bunker Hill Pickles, Abe Lincoln Tomatoes Washington Crisps and Uncle Sam Apples," will open this summer at the Longone Center for American Culinary Research in the Clements Library. It will explore the use of patriotic symbols to promote various food products—campaigns that have been successful, but also could have drawbacks, according to a U-M marketing professor. (Photos courtesy Clements Library)

From Abe Lincoln Tomatoes to Uncle Sam Apples, a summer exhibition from the Longone Center for American Culinary Research at the Clements Library will explore the use of patriotic symbols to promote various food products.

"Would these icons and similar patriotic ones such as Franklin, Plymouth Rock, the Flag, the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty or Columbia induce you to buy a product or encourage you to change your eating habits? For the past 150 years, someone—many someones—believed the answer was 'yes,'" says Janice Longone, curator of the exhibition, "Patriotic Fare: Bunker Hill Pickles, Abe Lincoln Tomatoes, Washington Crisps and Uncle Sam Apples."

From its earliest years, the American advertising industry has used patriotic images to sell food, she says. Advances in graphics and printing caught the consumer's eye with striking colorful containers and advertisements while taking advantage of the free use of historical celebrity images.

"Patriotic marketing has been so successful because it works in many ways," says Andrew Gershoff, associate professor of marketing. "First, it draws attention to products, so people are more likely to consider them. It also stimulates strong feelings that may improve liking of products. It can also affect how people make inferences about a product's features, such as its strength or reliability."

But there are some downsides to patriotic marketing, Gershoff says. With changing opinions, patriotic feelings may become conflicted and hurt sales.

"Because patriotism is particularly important to some individuals, companies that have failed to remain respectful in their presentation and use of patriotic symbols and messages have met with strong negative public reaction," he says.

The exhibition will open at the Clements Library July 5 and run through Sept. 29. Hours will be 1-4:45 p.m. The library will be closed July 19-22.

In conjunction with this exhibition, the Clements Library and the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor will sponsor a lecture by Longone at the library from 3-5 p.m. Sept. 17.