The Century of the Self

From Needs to Desires... The Evolution of Mass Consumer Persuasion.

What truly motivates the human mind? One of the most powerful answers lies in how to appeal effectively to the masses. Today, our consumer culture is driven less by necessity and more by psychological manipulation. We live in a world where people routinely buy products with money they don’t have, for items they don’t need, to impress people they don’t even know.

Much of this transformation began with Edward Bernays, the father of modern public relations. Bernays revolutionised advertising by realising that the way to sell a product wasn’t to appeal to logic or utility, but to emotion. He understood that consumers could be persuaded not by what they needed, but by how they felt.

Instead of simply telling people, “You need a new car because your old one is breaking down,” Bernays would suggest, “You’ll feel better, more successful, more admired with this new car.” The purchase became a personal emotional investment. He didn’t just sell products - he sold feelings, identities and aspirations.

This emotional appeal has become the cornerstone of modern advertising. We see it everywhere: in clothing ads that promise confidence, in tech ads that promise innovation and belonging, in lifestyle brands that sell not items, but identities. Bernays’ insight, that emotional connection can override practical reasoning, shifted consumer culture forever.

After World War II, American corporations faced a new challenge. Their factories, built for wartime mass production, now needed to produce consumer goods at scale. But they quickly realised there was a looming threat: overproduction. People only needed so many shoes, cars, or appliances. For the working class, most products were still considered necessities, advertised in simple, functional terms: durability, utility, value. But for capitalism to continue growing, this would not be enough.

Corporate leaders, like Paul Mayer of Lehman Brothers, recognised the need for a cultural shift. In his words: “We must shift America from a needs-based culture to a desires-based culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things even before the old have been consumed. Man’s desires must overshadow his needs.”

This marked the birth of modern consumerism - not just producing goods, but manufacturing desire. Advertising no longer informed - it seduced. Products became symbols of status, happiness, freedom, and individuality. The consumer was no longer a rational buyer, but an emotional participant in a system that constantly fuelled dissatisfaction to drive demand.

This is the world we live in today: Where our desires are cultivated before our needs are even recognised. Where consumption is tied to our identity. Where happiness is marketed, packaged, and sold.