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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, and author of numerous books on architecture, pop culture, and the history of the West Coast, Los Angeles, and Hollywood. His unrivaled private collection of ephemera has been featured in museum exhibitions around the world and dozens of books.

About the author:
Steven Heller, co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author Program, writes the "Visuals" column for the New York Times Book Review, and is the author of 120 books on design, illustration, and satiric art.
Facts
All-American Ads of the 70s

All-American Ads of the 70s

Heimann, Jim (Editor)
Heller, Steven
Flexicover, 19.6 x 25.5 cm (7.7 x 10 in.), 704 pages
$ 39.99

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
American Ads of the 70s
Kathimerini, Greece, March 02, 2005
  • See also (7 items)toggle
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