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Seneca Valley Senior High School, Seneca School Road, Harmony, PA

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The Rise of Impactful Businesses and Flashy Ads in the 1950s and 1960s

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The Rise of Impactful Businesses and Flashy Ads in the 1950s and 1960s

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This road trip explores how business and advertising transformed American life in the 1950s and 1960s. From the rise of credit cards to the power of television commercials, each stop highlights a major event or invention that changed how people spent money, watched media, and responded to brands. It shows how the 1950s and 1960s laid the foundation for the consumer culture we live in today. How did business innovations and advertising strategies in the 1950s and 60s influence American culture and childhood memories? Stop at 40 West 49th Street, New York City, NY as it shows how morning television became a powerful new way for businesses to reach people with news, products, and advertising all before breakfast. Grab a coffee and tune in!

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The Today's Show started on Jan. 14, 1952, first American morning television show.

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The Today's Show started on Jan. 14, 1952, first American morning television show.

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The Today Show, which started on January 14, 1952, changed television by becoming the first daily morning news and entertainment program, setting the standard for how people start their day with news and interviews. The show airs from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. reaching more than 5 million people every day across the United States. The show helps inform the viewers of events occurring in the country. Learn about how television also impacted politics by visiting the next location in New York City.

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The first televised presidential campaign advertisements. (1952)

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The first televised presidential campaign advertisements. (1952)

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Eisenhower’s presidential campaign in 1952 was the first to use televised ads, changing politics by showing how TV could reach voters quickly, making campaigns more like commercials. His campaign initiated a movement that impacted future president's campaigns as $1.35 billion was spent just for advertisement helping reach even more voters in the 2025 elections. Visit California to have some fun in one of the most famous amusement parks!

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Disneyland Amusement Park opens on July 17, 1955

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Disneyland Amusement Park opens on July 17, 1955

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The opening of Disneyland on July 17th, 1955, changed entertainment by creating the first ever theme park where families could have fun together in a magical world, inspiring similar parks around the globe and shaping pop culture and television shows. Today, Disneyland is one of the most visited touristic locations in the world with approximately 58 million people going on a yearly basis. Many paid their entrance by using a credit card. Learn more about the launch of the American Express Card by visiting Buffalo, New York.

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Launch of the American Express Credit Card (Oct. 1st 1958)

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Launch of the American Express Credit Card (Oct. 1st 1958)

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The launch of the American Express card on October 1st, 1958, changed the way people paid for things by making it easier to buy now and pay later, and it helped start the credit card industry that we know today. American Express developed the card as a way to combine security and the convenience of credit. The card went from being seen as a card for occasional use to a daily payment method for various expenses. Go use your new credit card at 1375 Broadway #1001, New York, NY 10018 to purchase some Barbie dolls.

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The first Barbie dolls being launched at the American Toy Fair 

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The first Barbie dolls being launched at the American Toy Fair 

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The launch of Barbie dolls at the American Toy Fair on March 9, 1959, changed the toy industry by introducing an adult like doll that encouraged imagination and became a cultural icon for generations of kids. The doll offered a way for the user to be creative when choosing an outfit, with over 120 possible careers could be chosen. Finish the night with some fun at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California

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Empire Polo Club, 51st Avenue, Indio, CA

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I included the Coachella Festival because it became one of the biggest and most famous music festivals in the world. It shows how music, culture, and fashion came together in a new way. Coachella is important because it changed the concert experience by mixing live music with art, social media, and trends. That’s why it would be a fun stop on the road trip. Learn about how the Citizens Trust Banks played a role during the Civil Rights era by visiting 210 Auburn Avenue Northeast, Atlanta Georgia.

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210 Auburn Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA

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Citizen's Trust Bank played a crucial role during the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s, supporting movements when other banks wouldn't. It offered essential financial services, including mortgages and home improvement loans, to the Black community. The bank also provided job opportunities by hiring Black professionals and supporting career advancement. Next, you'll go to New York City to learn how CBS revolutionized television advertising.

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51 East 52nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, NY

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In the 1960's, television became the frontier of advertising. During the 1960's, about 90% of American households had a television. This made it the primary source of news and entertainment. Many companies began to realize that this would be the best way to promote themselves with a national audience and an extraordinary influence. The three main channels at this time were ABC, CBS, and NBC. The most popular at the time was CBS. Get ready to go shopping next in New Jersey at the mall on the east coast.

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Cherry Hill Mall, New Jersey 38, Cherry Hill Township, NJ

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The Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey, which opened in 1961, was the first enclosed mall on the East Coast. It had a huge social impact, changing the way people socialized. Malls became popular teen hangout spots, food courts became gathering spots, and movie theaters were added. It also created major teen employment opportunities, along with jobs for security guards, retail workers, and maintenance staff. Next, you'll go shopping again for groceries at the first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas.

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A look back: The birth of the Cherry Hill Mall (1960s)

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March, 1960: Trees and tropical plants shown in a conceptual drawing of the Cherry Hill Mall by Architect Gruen. The Strawbridge and Clothier store is seen at the right.File Photo

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Walmart Supercenter, West Walnut Street, Rogers, Arkansas

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Walmart Supercenter in Rogers, Arkansas (1962)

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Walmart Supercenter in Rogers, Arkansas (1962)

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The first Walmart store to be opened was in Rogers, Arkansas in July 1962. The original name of Walmart was "Walmart Discount City" and their main goal of business was committing to lower prices. That was their goal so that they would attract more customers and lower prices for them for higher volume purchases like many people do. Now you're going back to New York. This time you'll be in Queens to see the most successful car campaign ever where Ford unveiled the Mustang.

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Ford Advertising Campaign in New York (1964)

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Ford Advertising Campaign in New York (1964)

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The launch of the Ford Mustang is regarded as the most successful car launch in history. Its campaign included ads on major networks, newspapers, and a Times Square billboard. This campaign revolutionized advertising, influenced American car culture, set automotive marketing standards, and established brand loyalty and dealer network advertising. To finish off the day it'll be a quick drive to the Apollo Theater in Manhattan for some entertainment.

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Apollo Theater, West 125th Street, New York, NY

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The Apollo Theater, opened in 1914 in New York City, became a cultural hub for Black music in the 1960s, hosting icons like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding. Its famous Amateur Night gave unknown talents the chance to perform, launching the careers of stars like Lauryn Hill, James Brown, and Ella Fitzgerald, who became music icons. This will make it a very enjoyable point of interest to see. Finally, you will go back to Seneca Valley High School.

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Seneca Valley Senior High School, Seneca School Road, Harmony, PA

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Seneca Valley Senior High School, Seneca School Road, Harmony, PA

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Seneca Valley Senior High School, Seneca School Road, Harmony, PA

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The 1950s and 1960s were a transformative time for business and advertising, with television emerging as a key marketing platform. Credit cards made consumer spending more accessible, while brands like Disney and products like the Ford Mustang captured the public’s imagination. Advertising began shaping cultural trends, tapping into emotions and desires. These shifts laid the foundation for modern consumer culture and marketing. The 1950s and 60s, new business ideas and advertising turned shopping into a key part of American life, with products often tied to success and happiness as kids often waited for products such as The Barbie as a common gift. TV commercials and advertising also was rising in success and popularity.

Period 1 Road Trip Thinking Routine: Take Note

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The headline for this gallery could also read 250 Ways... there were so many firsts in television during the 1960s, it's overwhelming. Much of what happened to television in the '60s became the unchanged standard until the internet started to overhaul the aging network system. Over the decades from the '60s to the new millennium, television technology has improved, but these are the events and shows which informed future program directors what to broadcast.

25. First Presidential Debate

It was 1960, the first year of the new decade or last one of the fifties, depending on who you ask. Two forerunners for the White House, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, would be the first two candidates to debate on television. What was noteworthy about this was how the visual aspects of the debate differed from the radio broadcast. Listeners of the radio broadcast tended to think Nixon won. Those who watched it on TV thought Kennedy crushed it. Overnight, it would take more than a silky voice coming from a fast talker to win over voters. They could now read facial expressions.

24. TV Ownership Swelled

The first televisions hit the electronics market in the late 1920s, but almost nobody bought them back then. They were expensive and there was nothing to watch. By the late '50s however, the cost to produce one of those light boxes had come down to ground level. By the year 1960, 90 percent of households owned a TV. Almost every red-blooded American had access to a set in some way. Radio broadcasters could barely keep up with the new medium.

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25 Ways the 1960s Were Pivotal for Television

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The headline for this gallery could also read 250 Ways... there were so many firsts in television during the 1960s, it's overwhelming. Much of what happened to television in the '60s became the unchanged standard until the internet started to overhaul the aging network system.