That 70’s Post
You didn’t have to be there to love the 1970’s. Case in point:
- Elton John
- Battleship
- Star Wars
- Jimi Hendrix
- Personal computer
- Aerosmith
- Charlie’s Angels
- Robert Redford AND Clint Eastwood!
You also didn’t have to be there to be happy the 70’s are behind us:
- Waterbeds
- Polyester
- Beatle’s breakup
- The Exorcist (personal opinion)
- Woody Allen (personal opinion)
You may or may not agree with my list arrangements but one thing is indisputable, there has been a definite progression from the 1970’s to today in all sorts of trends and industries. Advertising is no exception.
Some companies may say “we’ve been doing the same thing for XX years, why do we need some ‘expert’ to come in and tell us how to deliver our message differently?” Well, keeping progression in mind, do you think that as big as the three brands below are, could they sell thier products today with these same ads they used in the 1970s?
The Gap, 1978
The tone in the Gap ad is idealistic and full of promise, a message which was very important during this peace and answer-seeking era.
Herbal Essences, 1975
This Herbal Essences advertisement acknowledges the “new” awareness of the environment that occurred in the 1970’s.
Jordache, 1979
Thanks to the 1960s “free love” spirit and the advent of feminism, advertisers in the 1970’s were not shy about using images of full or partially nude men and women, as well as images of people sharing sexual embraces. This is not the most brash of examples, but it was what I thought most appropriate for this blog.
As you can see, advertising in the 1970’s really reflected what was happening to society in that day. All of these brands still see success and recognition today, but not without changing with the times. We all need to embrace progression if for no other reason than because it will give us something to learn from and even laugh at almost 40 years later…
