Funeral Advertising

Funeral Advertising is a specific type of advertising for funeral products and/or services. It refers to the selling of funeral commodities via different media channels in order to generate public awareness and to improve the business of the modern funeral industry.

Historically, Funeral Advertising has not only reflected the public attitude towards funerals in themselves, but has also shaped it. The evolution of this particular sector of advertising has followed the evolution of the modern funeral industry, which has created a niche market in which it is willing to compete both in mass marketing and mass communication.

History and evolution of funeral advertising[]

Advertising and communication strategies in this specific niche market have existed since the beginning of history, but obviously they have changed over the centuries.

Middle ages: Word of mouth[]

This particular kind of advertising began during the Middle Ages in the form of a word-of-mouth activity.
At the beginning, with no media involved, funeral advertising was a kind of relationship between producers and consumers and it did not involve the action of an advertising practitioner. Therefore, it simply consisted in an action carried out by undertakers to promote their funeral products and/or services to their city or town members. This action of promotion constituted a verbal communication, which, with the advent of the various media, transformed itself continuously through the ages.

Since the Gutenberg era: Printing Press[]

C. E. Williams Undertakers — Example of early printed advertising

With the invention of the printing press in the 17th century, funeral advertising started to be posted in the newspaper. Agents of the funeral industry started to buy advertising space in the newspapers. These actions were carried out to promote funeral services and/or products to a wider market, a larger public.

At this time, religion played a significant role in influencing social and consumer behaviour and, consequently, funeral advertisements manifested a conventional form: a classic and sober attitude, respectable language and of course the use of black and white.

Outdoor Advertising: Billboards[]

Later, funeral advertising began to expand with the use of a new medium. The rise of outdoor advertising and so the use of billboards on different types of streets certainly made funeral advertising visible to a larger audience and also had a greater impact on the market.

Strolling along the street, it is common to find oneself in front of papered walls of funeral posters, telephone booths with some obituary or bulletin boards dedicated to funeral photos and advertisements. The billboard or funeral poster is a means used by the funeral industry to advertise. This kind of means can be dated back to the 19th century, when competition began to grow within the funeral industry, as evidenced by the number of funeral homes that came into being. This new type of business can be compared to other modern mass merchandising enterprises, for it also uses such techniques such as price advertising in the newspaper and on billboards.

Mostly during the 1800s, billboards started to grow in importance and there are documents that prove the emission of a patent to regulate the standard of a funeral billboard. A US citizen, James E. Grosjean, had invented “new and useful Improvements in Funeral-Advertising Devices or Annuciators”. According to this document, the billboard had to present some of these features:

A frame having at the top a cord or a ribbon so to be secured to pins on walls;

A card or a paper on which the ad is printed or written that must be behind a glass;

The frame is made of sheet metal or other suitable material;

So it can be noted that they focused on the physical aspect of the message rather than on the message itself. Over the years, the approach evolved and funeral advertisements became more and more similar to product advertisement.

Nowadays, funeral billboards assume all the aspects of advertising, using all of the techniques funeral houses can to make an impression or to be noticed. Some use irony, while others use their billboard to send social messages like the advertising “Text and drive” that drew a lot of media attention because of the social implication of that message, since it is a widespread habit amongst the younger generation.

Mass media: Radio e TV[]

Starting from the 19th century, funeral advertising spread through the mass media: radio and television.As regards radio, funeral advertising took the shape of a commercial: a short spoken message; while on television it was transmitted as a video. In both, funeral advertising was used to sponsor the funeral sector/market. This action had the characteristic of being immediate and of attracting attention.

Golden_Gate_Funeral_Home_TV_Ad_MUST_SEE — Golden Gate Funeral Home TV Ad MUST SEE

This was an enormous opportunity to expand because radio and television gave the funeral industry the possibility to be known, to talk about itself on a nationwide scale, to enter almost every home.

Yet the use of the radio was easily substituted by the television, where funeral advertising was transmitted as a video. These ads took the shape of (usually) 30-second videos, where funeral services and products were presented to a larger audience. The images projected were realistic and very sober, but over time some ads started also to propose an ironic and humorous view of death itself.

New media: Internet and social media[]

Recently the funeral sector has been affected by a crisis and it has started to move on several fronts. Thanks to the advent of the Internet, funeral advertising can now run also on new communication channels such as social networks. As a result, it can reinvent itself to improve its visibility, awareness and loyalty. This can be done through a mix of different digital platforms, like for example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and so forth.

So far, many companies use funeral advertising on the web not just to sell cremation services, but also to offer more specific ones, providing assistance and help in all matters concerning the deceased. Through events, seminars, support and also activities like, for e

xample, “leave a message to your loved one” on a facebook page.

The funeral service market is more competitive than ever. Companies have to struggle to survive, trying out new and different tools and strategies to reach customers.

Not only has the economic environment changed, but also the market: death is no longer a taboo.

Today, we can also notice a transformation in the shape and attitude of the funeral advertisement itself: in effect, it can be considered a coloured, ironic and humorous piece of contemporary art.

Some critics say that advertising today has no limits because sometimes funeral advertisements are seen as something between fancy and irony, the offensive and the macabre.

Funeral advertisements at the beginning (especially as regards to newspaper and billboard) simply proposed the products/services offered by the funeral sector referring to their prices, usefulness and attributes. While today, with the advent of the Internet and through the usage of social media, the trend has changed: funeral advertising does not only commercialize the products/services, but the focus shifts to the symbolic aspect of the brands themselves.