Advertising the United States:
Discovering America’s flagship through prints, posters, and advertisements
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“An American Dream Comes True.” Commissioned by United States Lines, August 4, 1952, Time Magazine.
Image courtesy of The Archives of Advertising, SS United States: A History in Advertising 1951-1968.
Below the splashy text that reads, “An American Dream Comes True,” is a dramatic image of the SS United States, with smoke and steam billowing from her funnels. The ad boasts that the “world’s most modern superliner” is as long as “five city blocks” and equipped with such luxuries as independently-controlled air conditioning and a “ship-to-shore telephone in every stateroom.” By suggesting to viewers that theUnited States was the fulfillment of the “American Dream,” the advertisement reinforced that the American Dream was increasingly associated with increased purchasing power and technological innovation.