A Pioneer in Advertising and Society Studies: An Interview with William O’Barr on Preserving Advertising History

This is the third of three interviews published in this issue with Advertising & Society Quarterly ’s founding editor William “Mack” O’Barr. The series covers his prolific career as an anthropologist and a founder in the field of advertising and society studies. In this particular interview, Jacqueline Wachholz, Director of the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History at Duke University, asks O’Barr to reflect on the importance of collecting and preserving advertising materials and to examine his significant contributions in establishing a scholarly approach to the study of advertising as a cultural force. O’Barr elaborates on his journey from a cultural anthropologist to becoming a pivotal figure in advertising and society studies. In addition to telling the story of how O’Barr helped bring the J. Walter Thompson archives to Duke, he and Wachholz discuss the need to preserve advertising materials for their historical value and their utility in educating future generations about advertising’s influence. O’Barr’s reflections on the transformation of his initial curiosity about advertising into a full-fledged academic discipline illustrate the dynamic interplay between academia and industry. They also highlight the enduring need to save materials providing insights into advertising’s role in shaping societal norms and values.