사회주의 중국에서 상업 광고가 자연스러워지기까지 — 개혁개방 시기 신문 매체를 중심으로

Abstract

This article analyzes how commercial advertisements in China, following the era of reform and openness, managed to present themselves as natural. Previous studies focused on analyzing the political or economic backgrounds that led to the reappearance of commercial advertisements. However, the sudden emergence of commercial advertisements, even if adequately explained, was sufficient to induce a sense of “bewilderment.” This article reveals various strategies employed to overcome this “bewilderment.” Broadly speaking, these strategies can be summarized into two categories. The first involves quietly behaving as if there were no commercial advertisements. Many commercials adopted similar structures and often occupied the most inconspicuous spaces in print media, making concerted efforts to go unnoticed. The second strategy involved presenting oneself differently, as if not a commercial advertisement. Overly detailed descriptions sometimes evoked the style of a newspaper article, and phrases like “modernization” or “friendship” gave the impression of public service announcements. Regardless of the strategy employed, the intention was clear: not to provoke the average Chinese citizen at that time. As a result, Chinese society did not readily accept commercial advertisements as such. There were moments when commercial advertisements went unnoticed or were thought of as something else entirely. Despite lingering negative interpretations, the fact that commercial advertisements were not categorically accepted made it somewhat easier to integrate into Chinese society. The reappearance of commercial advertisements was not solely influenced by political or economic factors but also involved these cultural strategies.