The Influence Of Chinese Youth Consumer Culture On Advertising In The New Century

This thesis firstly outlines the youth culture, and analyzes relevant features of this culture, describing it as entertaining, subversive, fashionable, consumable, non-mainstream and multicultural. The author explains that youth culture originates in certain areas and certain groups of China. Because modern youth culture is regarded as the main content of popular culture, the dissemination path of youth culture can help define the culture of China's modern youth, that is, the popular culture of urban youth. According to the application of media industry, urban youth have an advantage in their contact with media and their command of media tools, which help them to communicate more easily in and out their groups, and form their own cultural community.Modern youth culture mainly originates in America in the 1960s, represented by Hippies. The urban youth culture of America has had a profound impact on the style of global youth culture until now. The reasons for the boom in America's youth culture suggest that youth culture is the cultural revolutionist chosen by the economy of a consumption society. Machine industry caused overproduction, but the mainstream culture led by Puritan culture advocated frugality in consumption, which constrained economic development, and thus consumption was restricted by culture. Such'spirit of Capitalism'not only restricted consumption, but also penetrated into the whole system of production and business management. The conservative work attitude adhered to standardization of products, and regarded efficiency, hierarchy and organization as the key factors of productivity. Producers and consumers were defined as'organizers'by the culture, and they were strictly constrained by'social ethic', lacking in creativity and diversity. The boom in business was decided by productivity rather than consumption. Customers'demand for goods was limited, but homogenous products could hardly encourage further consumption. In addition, the failure in the Vietnam War upset the politics of America. People were distrustful of government and the conflicts with government's mainstream values continued escalating. A cultural revolution was destined to come. Youth were finally chosen by this specific history to promote and carry out the revolution. This is because youth were not completely affected by the society's mainstream culture, and they still had the ability to express indignation from the bottom of heart, as well as the ability to rebel against traditions. Hippies are the representative of youth culture in the 1960s. The rebellion characterized by personalization and lifestyle broke up the hegemony of Puritan culture, and brought diversity to culture. Culture began to shift to'liberalism'and'personality'. In business the individual needs of consumers were respected; companies wanted to develop products to provide more room for'meaning', and provide symbols for the spiritual need of consumers. Youth culture accelerated America's entry into consumption society.The prosperity of America's youth culture can shed some light on the development of China's urban youth culture. That period is similar to the stage of our country entering consumption society in the new century. Before China's opening up and reform, youth culture was constrained by political ideology, subordinate to political culture. Opening up and reform not only makes China's economy connect with the world, but also enables the product symbol culture to be shared through consumption. The emergence of internet put youth in contact with the diverse cultural views of foreign courtiers, and their awareness of personality and cultural independence gradually increase. After China entered the consumption society, mass culture slowly broke down the hegemony of mainstream culture because of its common, ordinary, and personal grass roots and commercial values.Altogether this has created a relaxed cultural environment for urban youth culture. Youth shows a great potential for consumption, and commerce began to contend for the youth market. Youth culture is commonly used in products, and has values as a symbol. But today the situation is somehow different from that time. As the emergence of China's urban youth culture is a bit late, it borrows to a large extent the western youth culture. But since China itself is in a specific historic period of political and economic systems, China's youth culture has obvious Chinese characteristics. China's youth culture in the new century mainly has three sources: innovation, introduction, and rediscoveries of traditional culture. The graffiti, hip-hop dancing and rock music introduced from western countries have become the common entertainment of Chinese youth. However, China's youth culture does not simply copy foreign cultures. The differences in political and economic environment between countries have formed the specific phenomenon of youth culture. The exhibition of traditional culture from a new angle is also one of the sources of China's youth culture. Youth culture can refresh traditions. Such freshness might be sharp but it is still a consideration, borrowing and continuation of fracture. The exploration and innovation of Chinese elements should be considered as the inheritance and development of traditional culture. Youth culture can create works that fit the times.The emergence of youth culture requires or indicates cultural power and cultural fame. Youth demand to have a say in society and have influences. They want to get attention and expect to have better prospects. Some forms of youth culture do not have substantial meaning, but just call for society's attention. The relaxation of the whole economic and political system and the huge potential youth market make the society pay more attention to the youth. Some positive forms of youth culture are approved by the society, and have the chance to become a part of the mainstream culture.The commercial value of youth culture is mainly found in the spread of advertisements. Advertisement as the distinct symbol of consumption society is certainly required to be connected with the vibrant, charming, promotive and disseminative youth culture. The impact of the spread of advertisements on the construction of youth culture needs to be analyzed. Youth obtain cultural resources, cultural identification and cultural power from advertisement.The effect of youth culture's dissemination: advertisement takes advantage of youth culture to affect the market and consumers. From youth culture, advertisement draws diverse forms of expression, creative ideas, interactive communication methods and penetrative marketing models.'New'products can be created without changing the products in essence, making the spread of advertisement more modern. The market room for youth is extending, as more and more people are attracted by youth culture and become the consumers of the symbols of youth culture. Advertisement has obtained unprecedented expressiveness and cultural flavors. Advertisement turns the expressions of youth culture into consumable symbols, and removes the original hostile and subversive elements of youth culture. This reduces the distance between youth culture and mass culture, and gains more people's the favor and recognition.The positive meaning of youth culture to society does not only exist in commerce, but also in respect of culture. This is because traditional culture fails to adapt to the cultural environment during China's entry into consumption society, Traditional culture does not interact with economy well, and therefore it does not have the adaptability to consumption society. Faced with the strong and mature foreign culture, traditional culture exposes its weakness: firstly it is not fresh; secondly it does not keep up with the times, and it does not study its receivers; thirdly it does not have mature market operation. Youth culture is sensitive to environment, and it is good at utilizing media resources to be spread quickly, absorbed and to make a special impression on receivers. Youth culture is complementary to traditional culture. Mainstream culture is also taking in youth culture, and is being rejuvenated by it and showing the vigor of the times.Only when youth culture is joined by commerce can it has the power of dissemination in consumption society. Such relation can make traditions vigorous, make classics innovative, make conceptions creative, and make meanings diverse. However the participation of commerce make youth culture somehow disingenuous, with many of them lacking in depth and driven by interests. Most of them can not form profound cultural trends that are worth of exploration, and only a few of them can be integrated into the core cultural concepts. Therefore both the positive and negative meaning of the spread of advertisement based on youth culture should be discussed, in order to comprehensively examine and assess such phenomenon. The youth are the future of our country, and advertisement has undeniable responsibilities in guiding youth culture and the reasonable consumption of youth. The development of youth culture should get the whole society's attention and should be correctly understood...