In response to the global debates about advertising standardization, cultural imperialism, convergence and autonomy, we describe changes in the national and international character of advertising messages in Western Europé during growing economic unification between 1953 and 1989. A content analysis of magazine advertisements in France, West Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands found an increasing tendency over time to show nationality — domestic products use more national symbols and identifiably domestic locations, and foreign products (especially from other EEC nations) use more images and languages to show their foreignness. Surprisingly, there was little use of either pan-European or non-European (such as American) images over time. Relating the advertising content to public opinion about European unification, the limited use of pan-European visuals was related to and preceded changes in public opinion about EEC membership. Public opinion shifts, on the other hand, preceded foreign language use.
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