From cigarettes to sauerkraut, advertisers have used images of the American legal system to promote products for many years.
Relying upon the perception of honesty and fairness that frequently accompanies a jury verdict, advertisers used juries in an effort to sway consumers.
In addition to ‘verdicts’, the use of judicial images and phrases was a popular advertising approach in that the use of such images conveys a level of importance and believability.
A prime example is the Supreme Court Brand Sauer Kraut label which was created for, and used by, John Blaul’s Sons from Burlington, Iowa.
Performance artists also used, and lampooned, the judiciary in marketing. Motown artist Shorty Long’s 1968 album “Here Comes the Judge” was named so to capitalize on the popularity of that phrase which had been made popular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, a popular show of the day.
Judges were also lampooned in popular culture such as the 1947 film, The Judge Steps Out, in which the titular character leaves the bench to work as a cook at a diner.