American Ads of the 80s
Where's the beef?
With the cold war ebbing, crime and inflation at record levels, and movie star-turned-President Ronald Reagan launching a Star Wars of his own, the 1980s did not seem likely to become one of the most outrageous, flamboyant, and prosperous decades of the 20th century. The "greed is good" mantra on Wall Street spawned the power-dressing, exercise-obsessed "Me Generation" of Yuppies—high on cash, cocaine, and Calvins. The art world enjoyed the influx of capital; computers and video games ruled in the office and at home; and the Rubik`s cube craze swept the nation. Leg warmers were big, shoulder pads were bigger and hair was biggest of all. Whether your heart warms nostalgically at the memory of E.T., marathon Trivial Pursuit sessions, and "The Cosby Show"; if you think "Knight Rider," Alf, and break dancing are totally awesome; or Tiffany, baggy acid wash jeans, and Cabbage Patch Kids make you wanna scream, "gag me with a spoon," this book`s for you. To all those who still hear the echoes of "I want my MTV": All-American Ads of the 80s will leave you ready to reach out and touch someone. So just do it!
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.
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American Ads of the 80s
Heimann, Jim (Editor)
Heller, Steven Flexicover, 19.6 x 25.5 cm (7.7 x 10 in.), 608 pages $ 39.99 |
- Reviews (15 items)
"...All American Ads of the 80s is the equivalent of catching Ab Fab on reappear when you've just been dumped. If your heart warms with nostalgia at the memory of those many Calvin Klein underwear ads, baggy acid-wash jeans and Tiffany, or if you still think Knight Rider, Barbara Streisand's Memories album and break dancing are totally awesome, then this book is for you."
Gay Times, London, United Kingdom
Gay Times, London, United Kingdom
- Clippings (8 items)
From Betamax to 'Dynasty', relive '80s through ads
Atlanta Journal Constitution, United States, November 18, 2005
Atlanta Journal Constitution, United States, November 18, 2005
- See also (5 items)
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Shop America. Midcentury Storefront Design 1938-1950 Window shopping |
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Advertising Now! Print The art of selling: today's most effective and original ads |
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All-American Ads 1900-1919 The dawn of consumerism: when ads were works of art |