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All-American Ads of the 70s

Discofunkalicious: An exhaustive overview of the decade that spawned glam rock and The Brady Bunch


Both eclipsed and influenced by television, American print ads of the 1970s departed from the bold, graphic forms and subtle messages that were typical of their sixties counterparts. More literal, more in-your-face, 70s ads sought to capture the attention of a public accustomed to blaring, to-the-point TV commercials (even VW ads, known for their witty, ironic statements and minimalist designs, lost some of their punch in the 1970s). All was not lost, though; as ads are a sign of the times, racial and ecological awareness crept into everything from cigarette to car advertisements, reminding Americans that everyday products were hip to the modern age. In an attempt to discover how best to communicate with a mass audience, marketing specialists studied focus groups with furious determination, thus producing such dumbed-down gems as "sisters are different from brothers," the slogan used for an African-American hair product. By the end of the decade, however, print ads had begun to recoup, gaining in originality and creativity as they focused on target audiences through carefully chosen placement in smaller publications. A fascinating study of mass culture dissemination in a post-hippie, television-obsessed nation, this weighty volume delivers an exhaustive and nostalgic overview of 70s advertising.

About the editor:
Cultural anthropologist and graphic design historian Jim Heimann is Executive Editor for TASCHEN America in Los Angeles. He is the author of numerous books on architecture, popular culture, and the history of the West Coast, in particular, Los Angeles and the Hollywood dream factory. For over 30 years he has built an unrivaled private collection of ephemera, which has been featured museum exhibitions around the world and in dozens of his books.

About the author:
Steven Heller, a senior art director of the New York Times and co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Design program, is the author of over one hundred books on design, popular culture, and satiric art. In addition to writing for over a dozen TASCHEN titles, his recent books include Design Literacy Second Edition, Stylepedia, and The Education of a Graphic Designer.
Facts
All-American Ads of the 70s

All-American Ads of the 70s

Heimann, Jim (ED)
Heller, Steven
Flexicover, 19.6 x 25.5 cm (7.7 x 10 in.), 704 pages, Special Price: $ 19.99
Save $ 20.00!


ISBN: 978-3-8228-1265-5
Multilingual Edition: English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish
Availability: Not in Stock
  • Reviews (15 items)toggle
"Jetzt erscheint endlich ein Buch über die wunderbare Welt der Werbung der 70s. Egal ob Autos, Cremes oder Unterhaltungselektronik. Hier gibt es längst verschollene Anzeigen zu bestaunen, die einem die Freudentränen in die Augen treiben! Das Buch reflektiert auf ganz wunderbare Weise den damaligen Zeitgeist ... ein absoluter Pflichtkauf."
Designbooks, Köln, Germany
  • Clippings (5 items)toggle
70s All-American Ads, edited by Jim Heimann
Intersection, United Kingdom, November 01, 2004
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