Cookbooks and sweepstakes as marketing tools during Mexico’s “symbolic participation” in World War II

Abstract

Four cookbooks published by the newspaper Exce?l- sior between 1943 and 1945 show that World War II was not apparently a main concern for Mexican people, at least not for homemakers. Twice a year the newspaper conducted an adver- tising campaign to gain subscribers, using as grand prizes lavish homes in sweepstakes as well as carefully edited cookbooks, all focused on women and families.