In looking at the these case studies, we can point out three key details in its existence as a commodity:

• First, in the Canadian market, it was introduced as an early teen product, and then transitioned towards a younger pre-teen, and kid audience. -> Case Study No. 1
• Second, in its marketing copy, we can see repeated attempts of marketers trying to persuade consumers into looking beyond its plastic materiality by listing its material strength as common keywords. This is part of a wider trend of “valiant efforts of those in the industry to establish a positive identity [for plastic]” (Cope 2022). -> Case Study No. 2
• Lastly, this record player was introduced into the market to insert itself into the movement of targeting the new addition of the child-consumer with growing independence, tendencies, and desires to assimilate into adult culture. The portable record player, itself, is likely a “toy” model of CGE’s, or other competitors, more expensive counterparts in an attempt to capture the younger demographic. Notably, this was during a period where vinyl sales were at its heyday, reaching more than 250M sales, annually (Richter 2024). -> Case Study No. 3

Contents

1. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Introduction
2. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Physical Properties
3. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Canadian General Electric (CGE) and Its Role in Manufacturing
4. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Understanding The Role of Plastics
5. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Appearances in Print Advertisements
6. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Print Advertisement Case Studies and Analysis
7. CGE RM110 Phonograph—Bibliography