Smart sells

American print advertising in the 50s and 60s

Gleaned from thousands of images, this companion set of books offers the best of American print advertising in the age of the “Big Idea.” At the height of American consumerism magazines were flooded with clever campaigns selling everything from girdles to guns. These optimistic indicators paint a fascinating picture of the colorful capitalism that dominated the spirit of the 1950s and 60s, as concerns about the Cold War gave way to the carefree booze-and-cigarettes Mad Men era. Also included is a wide range of significant advertising campaigns from both eras, giving insight into the zeitgeist of the period. Bursting with fresh, crisp colors, these ads have been digitally mastered to look as bright and new as the day they first hit newsstands.
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.

The contributing author:
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author Program. For 33 years he was an art director for The New York Times, and currently writes the "Visuals" column for The New York Times Book Review. He is the author of 120 books on graphic design, illustration, and satiric art.
Mid-Century Ads: Advertising from the Mad Men Era
Coming soon

Mid-Century Ads: Advertising from the Mad Men Era

Jim Heimann, Steven Heller
Hardcover, 2 vols. in slipcase, 9.4 x 13.2 in., 720 pages, $ 59.99
ISBN 978-3-8365-2834-4
Multilingual Edition: English, French, German
Availability: 03/2012
  • Reviews
"The golden age of advertising has come and gone, but TASCHEN Books is preparing to release a collection of digitally mastered advertisements from the Mad Men era. The book showcases a multitude of campaigns that give insight into consumerism ethos prevalent at the time."
— trendhunter.com, United States
  • See also
The Circus. 1870s–1950s
TASCHEN 25 The Circus. 1870s–1950s
Hardcover in slipcase, 9.9 x 15 in., 544 pages, $ 69.99

The greatest show on earth. The Circus - now accessible for everyone, at a freakishly good price
Los Angeles. Portrait of a City
Los Angeles. Portrait of a City
Hardcover, 9.8 x 13.4 in., 572 pages, $ 69.99

Rise and Sprawl: How Los Angeles Came To Be. A pictorial history of the City of Angels