The Austrian Advertising Film. The genesis of a genre

With the invention of film at the end of the 19th century, a new advertising media established that substantially contributed to visualize and aestheticize the world of goods. Starting from the early days of cinematography, this work explores the development and establishment of the advertising film genre in Austria until 1938. At the beginning, economic and technical processes are outlined, which not only made the emergence and development of commercial advertising possible, but made it ultimately also necessary. Furthermore, the increasing scientific focus and institutionalization of the Austrian advertising industry is explained, whereby the advertising film became part of the advertising education for the first time. In parallel with important economic developments, commercials established themselves as a new entertainment and advertising medium. The dissemination, acceptance as well as the aesthetical and technical evolvement of this new advertising medium was outlined. Early forms and pre-forms of commercials (travel pictures, industrial pictures) are picked up in order to identify the first lines of development of this genre. Relationships and conflicts of interest between politics, advertising film producers, clients and cinema owners are presented and provide information about production conditions, social and societal developments, strategies of economization, the orientation of films as well as about diverse performance contexts. Moreover, it outlines how innovations in the field of film technology (substandard film, sound film, colour film) not only changed contents and aesthetics but also extended performance practises. Above all, the introduction of sound film made the production considerably more expensive. As a result, the advertising film producers formed an association for a better representation of their interests vis-à-vis politics and business. Furthermore, changes in the formal conception of advertising films are explained - away from multiple functionality (e.g. educational and advertising films) towards short, concise films with a clear consumer- and sales-oriented focus. Producers biographies show connecting lines within the film industry, reveal competitive behaviour and sometimes reveal individual production styles. Within the respective thematic focuses, exemplary advertising and industrial films are examined with regard to their strategic and aesthetic content as well as their sales-oriented positioning. Product presentation, product recommendation and sales appeal as well as subtle messages were determined.